Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's WRGP WC The Dark Oppressor
by ToonWorldProductions
Summary: For Tatsuya Tokunaga, competing in the World Racing Grand Prix was something he'd dreamed of ever since he was a child. His parents, along with Toru, his childhood friend's parents, had competed time and time again. But when tragedy strikes in the form of a Duel Runner crash, both Crash Town boys were left without their parents.
1. Chapter 1

"This is incredible folks! The rookie Turbo Duelist has made an incredible comeback! Why I've never seen such a strategy before. Jack Atlas is in trouble!" The announcer declared of the former King.

 **Jack Atlas - 1100 LP**

 **Rookie Duelist - 1300 LP**

"That last counterattack put Jack at a severe disadvantage, his field is completely empty and his life points are hanging in the balance! If the rookie is able to summon a monster, it's over for Jack Atlas! It all comes down to one card!" Shouted the announcer.

"Alright, it's all up to my deck now. Here I go, draw!" The rookie exclaimed, snatching a card from his deck and holding it out to the side.

A smile curved onto the young man's features as he beheld what he'd just drawn.

"Can't say it hasn't been fun Jack, but I'm afraid it's time to end this. I activate the Speed Spell, Count Up! By paying two Speed Counters I can send any number of cards I control to the graveyard to increase my Speed Counters by three for each card. And the card I'm discarding is Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World!" The rookie declared, activating his Speed Spell and sending the monster to the grave.

"Now, since he's been sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can special summon him to the field! Rise up, Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World!" He exclaimed, raising his hand dramatically before slamming it down onto the disk to summon his fiend.

Purple lightning crackled just above the duelist's head, and soon a portal was ripped open, bringing forth a terrifying golden monstrosity. It carried a fiendish axe and had glowing crimson eyes that stared viciously at the opposition. Jack gritted his teeth and gave the beast a defiant glare.

 _Goldd Wu-Lord of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend) - LV 5 (ATK/2300 DEF/1400)_

"This could be it! The rookie is going for the attack!" Echoed the announcer.

"Finish this! Dark Lightning Slash Attack!" The rookie roared, pointing imperiously at Jack.

With a threatening roar, Goldd raised his mighty axe and gathered purple lightning into the edge before slashing downward, sending a crescent blast of energy towards the former King, carving through his Life Points and bringing them down to zero.

 **Jack Atlas - 0**

 **Rookie Duelist - 1300**

"I don't believe it! He's won! Defying all odds, the rookie has defeated Jack Atlas in the finals of the WRGP! He worked his way through the ranks and defeated everyone in his way. Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that we have a new WRGP Champion! And his name is..."

"Tatsuya..."

"Tatsuya?"

"TATSUYA!"

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc One: Prologue**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor**

* * *

"Are you ever going to wake up boy?" A gruff voice grumbled.

Amethyst eyes slowly opened to the world around them, their vision blurry for but a moment before becoming fully focused on the gray-haired mustache bearing man before them. Rising from the bed was a young man with fair skin dark violet hair with spiky white strands jutting out of the side. Two small, black piercings were seen in his ears.

He wore a gray long sleeve, button-down top with a black vest. Around his neck was a red neckerchief. He wore blue jeans and black cowboy boots. Rubbing his eyes, he looked over at the clock and palmed his face.

"It's twelve o'clock. Nico and West have been wondering where you were for over an hour. It's your turn to watch them today since Toru is busy," the old man said with a frown. "You weren't daydreaming about Turbo Dueling again were you? Because if you were-"

"I know, I know. Nothing good will ever come from it. It's too dangerous, yada yada yada. I get it grampa Klaus," the youth muttered, standing up to stretch.

"Don't make light of what I say Tatsuya. Your parents-"

"I know what happened gramps! I don't need a reminder of how mine and Toru's parents died okay?" Tatsuya snapped, grabbing his deck and duel disk before heading to the door.

"Tatsuya..."

"I'm going to find Nico and West. They're probably at the hideout by now. No doubt West is trying to come up with a new deck to duel me with," Tatsuya said with a half smile.

"Just be careful out there," Klaus cautioned. "The Malcom and Ramon family are-"

"Feuding, I know. But you gotta remember, I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle myself. You did pick up where my parents left off as far as teaching me how to duel goes," Tatsuya smirked. "I'll be fine," Tatsuya stated, walking out of the house and into the harsh heat of Crash Town.

* * *

"Alright! I think I've finally done it!" An excited little boy exclaimed as he held up a deck of cards in a triumphant manner.

"And just what is it that you've "finally done" West?" Asked the older girl with him.

"Oh it's nothing Nico. It's just that I've created a deck that will finally defeat Tatsuya!" West proclaimed proudly.

"You mean, just like the other decks that were supposed to defeat him?" Nico teased.

"Hey! Those decks were rough drafts! Blueprints. This deck will win for sure!" West said defiantly.

Nico rolled her eyes and sighed. While she admired her little brother's dueling spirit, she felt that sometimes he could be a little overzealous when it came to dueling. Time and time again he's faced off against Tatsuya and Toru and each time, he'd lost. It wasn't because he wasn't any good, it was just that they were just better duelists.

A knock came to the hideout door, causing Nico and West to worry a little. Ever since the Malcom and Ramon family began fighting, it wasn't exactly safe to be out in the open. Relief came when they heard a familiar knocking pattern, meaning that there was only one other person that it could be.

"Nico, West? You in there?" Tatsuya called to them from beyond the door.

West grinned excitedly and rushed to the door of the hideout, throwing it open to greet their friend.

"Tatsuya! Alright, you're here!" West beamed, brandishing his duel disk with pride. "Duel me!" He demanded immediately.

"West! He just got here, let him get situated first,"Nico scolded, causing West to frown.

"It's okay Nico," Tatsuya laughed, stepping farther into the hideout and closing the door.

"By the way Tatsuya, we were a little worried you wouldn't show. Where were you?" Nico wondered, getting a nervous laugh out of Tatsuya.

"Well...that part's a bit hard to explain. Let's just say I fell asleep after work," Tatsuya replied.

"That sure happens a lot," West added.

Tatsuya rolled his eyes.

"So, ready to duel? I'm in charge of you two for the remainder of the day, so you can duel me all you like," Tatsuya smiled.

"Really!?" West exclaimed.

Nico sighed and shook her head.

"Here we go," she muttered.

"You better be ready Tatsuya! This deck of mine is going to finally take you down!" West declared.

"Then bring it on West. You said you'd make a deck worth my time, so why don't you show it to me!" Tatsuya fired back, taking his deck out of his box and setting it on the floor.

"You want it? You've got it!" West retorted, slamming his deck down and sitting across from Tatsuya.

"Duel!"

* * *

"Let's see...if I just tweak this a little, then maybe it'll-oh come on!"

A shout of frustration came from within the house next to Tatsuya's. Inside, a young man with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore a red and white vest with black shoulder pads. He was covering his mouth as smoke emitted from his Duel Runner.

"I just fixed that!" The young man grumbled. "Great...now I gotta start over," he muttered, quickly grabbing the tools he needed for repairs.

"I wonder if mom and dad ever had to deal with this," he sighed, standing up and wiping his brow. "That should do it for now. But I'm gonna need more parts, otherwise this thing will never get up and running..."

Setting his gloves down, he headed towards the door.

"I think I left a few tools in the hideout. Bah, it figures I'd have to go all the way over there to get them. Oh well, a good walk will do me some good," he said to himself, closing the door behind him as he walked out.

* * *

"I'm actually winning!" West declared, looking over at Tatsuya's empty monster zone with an elated grin.

"Not bad West, you're doing better than last time," Tatsuya commended him.

 **West - 2000 LP**

 **Tatsuya** **\- 1500 LP**

"I guess you really did think this through this time West," Nico observed, getting a thumbs up from West.

"Told ya!" West grinned.

"I must admit, I used to like Mecha Bunny. Now it's a pain," Tatsuya frowned.

"Well there's more where that came from! I'll set one card face down and end my turn! Your move," West beamed.

Tatsuyu reached for the top card in his deck and drew. A smile formed on his features as he saw what he'd drawn.

"Man West, you were so close," Tatsuya stated, causing West to recoil in surprise.

"Uh oh! That doesn't sound good!" West said nervously.

"Oh it isn't, for you anyway. For me however," Tatsuya smirked, flipping the card around to reveal Dark World Lightning as the card he'd drawn, "it's very good."

"Oh no!" West wailed.

"I activate Dark World Lightning to destroy your set card," Tatsuya stated, placing the card on the mat and then sending it to the Graveyard along with one card in his hand.

West frowned and slowly placed his only set card in the Graveyard.

"That's not all West. I activate a special effect of the monster I just discarded to the Graveyard," Tatsuya smirked.

"But that means-!"

"I return one Dark World monster to my hand in order to special summon, Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World, come on out!" Tatsuya commanded.

 _Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) -LV 8 (ATK/2700 DEF/1800)_

Tatsuya reached for his Graveyard and returned his dragon to the field. West went wide-eyed as he saw the bane of his deck's existence on the field.

"And since he was sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I get to take out your Armory Arm with his effect," Tatsuya explained.

West hung his head and slid the card into the Graveyard.

"And with a direct attack," Tatsuya stated, sliding his card forward towards West to signal an attack, "I win."

 **West - 0 LP**

 **Tatsuya - 1500 LP**

"Awww man!" West groaned, flopping onto his back with his arms spread out. "I almost had you!" He said in frustration.

"It was a good duel West. You're definitely improving," Tatsuya replied.

West sat up, a pouting expression on his face as he crossed his arms.

"You're just too good!" West exclaimed.

"He's just had more experience, West," Nico interjected. "You'll get better with practice," Nico said confidently.

"She's right you know," Tatsuya said with a smirk. "It took me a while, but I eventually was able to beat the old man in a duel," Tatsuya declared.

"You beat Klaus!?" West blinked, his eyes widening at the revelation.

"It was a close duel, but I pulled out ahead in the end," Tatsuya shrugged.

"If you beat Klaus, I bet you could duel as well as Team Satisfaction!" West exclaimed.

"I don't know about that. Those guys are on a completely different level," Tatsuya replied with a nervous laugh.

"Did somebody say, Team Satisfaction?" Came a familiar voice from behind the group.

The trio turned their attention to the source of the voice.

"What's up Toru?" Tatsuya inquired.

"Nothin' much. Just came here to see what you guys were up to, and to get some tools I need for my duel runner," Toru grinned.

"Still workin' on that thing?" Nico asked curiously.

"You bet!" Toru beamed, giving her a thumbs up.

Toru glanced down at the duel mat and cringed a little.

"Yikes, Grapha? A bit harsh don't you think Tatsuya?" Toru said nervously.

Tatsuya shrugged and gestured towards West.

"He had a fairly solid strategy. He was doing well, so I decided to kick it up a notch," Tatsuya added.

"If by that, you mean demolish me, then yeah...you did that," West grunted.

"Cheer up West. I even have trouble with that thing when it comes out," Toru assured West. "But if you hang tough, you'll be able to get around that nasty effect."

West grinned as Toru ruffled his hair.

"Alright!" West exclaimed, standing up and clenching his fists, pumping one into the air for emphasis. "I'm going to build an even better deck and next time," he added, pointing at Tatsuya, "you're going down!"

Tatsuya smiled and stood up, gathering his cards before doing so and placing them in his deck box.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Tatsuya replied, reaching out and fist bumping West.

Toru gathered up his supplies and headed for the door.

"If you guys need me, I'll be fixing up my Duel Runner. Hopefully I'll have it working in a few days," Toru informed the group.

"You're gonna show us once you're done right!?" West asked, getting up and rushing to Toru's side.

Placing a hand on his head, Toru grinned down at the eager young boy.

"Of course. You'll get to see me test drive it once it's done. You'll be the first to know," Toru assured him.l

"Alright!" West shouted enthusiastically.

Toru smiled and turned away, walking out of the wooden structure and closing the door. West turned around and faced Tatsuya with a determined gaze.

"I wanna go again," West declared, getting a grin out of his friend.

"If that's what you want," Tatsuya said, taking out his deck and setting it down.

West grabbed his and shuffled it, placing it opposite Tatsuya before sitting down. And once again, the two proceeded to duel to their heart's content. But try as he might...

"Not again!"

West still couldn't win.

* * *

 **Prologue**

 **End Phase**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Franchise. All content and characters belong to their creators. Any OC's or plot changes however, do belong to me. However the OC in-between Yusei and Jack belongs to a different artist. Credit to him for the character design.**


	2. Chapter 2

Tatsuya sat outside his home, half awake after a long night of dueling. West had insisted that they duel until he either won, or it was time to go to sleep. Needless to say, the trio got tired after the last match and ended up turning in for the night. It was the weekend, and that meant a trip into town was in order. Klaus woke Tatsuya up and convinced him to go into town with him to go shopping. As Tatsuya waited, Toru meandered over to his neighbor's to ask a favor.

"Mornin' Tatsuya. Sleep well? Or did West keep you up all night dueling?" Toru joked.

Tatsuya yawned and shrugged.

"He was persistent. He wanted to win and didn't care how many times we dueled," Tatsuya muttered.

"He was that adamant huh? Glad it wasn't my turn to watch them," Toru laughed.

Tatsuya rolled his eyes.

"So what's up? Here to say hi, or show me the latest fashion magazine?" Tatsuya stated, pointing to the obvious magazine with a very famous model on the cover.

Toru quickly hid it behind his back with a whistle.

"No point in hiding it. I already saw Misty Tredwell on the cover," Tatsuya deadpanned.

"Nothing gets passed you does it?" Toru said with a nervous grin.

"Don't let Nico or West see that. They'll never let you hear the end of it. Especially Nico," Tatsuya remarked.

"Eh, the little squirts can say what they want. My interests are my interests," Toru shrugged. "So, what's the old man got you doin' today? You're usually never up this early unless he has work for you to do."

Tatsuya rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"We're going into the city for a few hours to shop around. He wants to pick up some supplies and some groceries. Honestly, I don't know why he needs me to go along," Tatsuya grimaced.

"It's so you don't laze about while I'm away," Klaus stated from behind. "You've always got your head in the clouds. If you put as much effort into your work as you do your dueling, I wouldn't be as hard on you."

"And there it is," Tatsuya mumbled.

"He's got you there buddy," Toru laughed.

"Thanks for the support," Tatsuya said with a frown.

"Anytime ol' buddy," Toru grinned. "Oh! I almost forgot, I need a few parts for my Duel Runner. I'm going to be working on it all afternoon and I want to get it finished as soon as possible. Do you think you could get me a few things?" Toru asked, reaching into his coat to take out some money he'd saved, offering it to Tatsuya.

"Eh, why not. I'll have nothing better to do in the city anyway," Tatsuya replied, taking the money and pocketing it.

"Sweet! I've got a list right here actually. I made it this morning so I wouldn't forget. Here," Toru said, handing Tatsuya the list of parts he needed.

"Well, if you two are finished, we'll be going. Toru, be sure to keep an eye on Nico and West," Klaus stated with a serious tone.

"I hear ya loud and clear old timer," Toru replied quickly.

"See ya in a few, Toru," Tatsuya waved, following his grandfather to the car.

The engine of the car roared to life, and Klaus and Tatsuya drove out of town towards the city.

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc One: Turn One - Team Satisfaction!**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor**

* * *

The Daimon Area, not exactly the safest place to reside in terms of the city. Being connected to New Domino, it is a place where those who do not wish to be sent to Satellite are located. Many branded as criminals and thugs dwell within the city, making it a rather difficult place to live without running into any trouble. Tatsuya had only been there a few times, and never once did he say that he'd enjoyed the trip. Tatsuya parked the car and locked the wheel and shut off the car.

"We're going to be here for a few hours. I've got a few groceries to pick up at the market so you can go ahead and get whatever Duel Runner parts you need for Toru," Klaus stated, adjusting his hat before turning to walk away. "Just be sure to be back here in two hours."

"Got it gramps," Tatsuya replied.

"And be careful, this city isn't exactly the friendliest of places," Klaus warned as he walked away.

"I already know that old man," Tatsuya muttered under his breath, turning to head in the opposite direction.

As he walked, unbeknownst to him, the conversation he'd been having with his grandfather had been overheard. Standing in an alley was a young man sporting a red dress shirt with a green tie. His hair was brown and in the shape of a bowl cut. He had lightly tanned skin and had a very thin mustache.

 _Duel Runner parts huh? He thought, stroking his chin as he watched Tatsuya walk down the street. By the looks of things, he's from Crash Town. Heh, those country bumpkins are such easy targets. If he's here to buy parts, he must have quite a bit of cash on hand. I think it's time the gang and I had some fun..._

With mischief in mind, the young man strolled out of the alley and proceeded to catch up to Tatsuya.

"Heya stranger, you look like you could use some help," he stated, causing Tatsuya to pause mid-stride and turn to look at the eavesdropper.

"And what makes you say that?" Tatsuya inquired with a raised brow.

"Well for one, you're walking around aimlessly and don't seem to know where you're going," the stranger replied with crossed arms.

Tatsuya frowned. Did he really look that lost? It wasn't like he hadn't been here before. The stranger did have a point, however. He needed to find the Duel Runner shop, and he had no idea where it was located. The guy seemed nice enough to offer help, but there was something off about him. Tatsuya couldn't exactly put his finger on it, but something told him to be cautious. Shrugging, he decided he would see what the stranger had to offer.

"I'm looking for a place to buy Duel Runner parts. I know there's a shop in town, I just don't know where it is," Tatsuya explained.

The man stroked his chin and dawned a contemplative expression.

"I suppose I could show you to the shop. The name's Gordon by the way," he said with a grin.

"Tatsuya, nice to meet you," he replied.

"Well Tatsuya, come with me and I'll take you to the best place in the city. You'll definitely get your money's worth there," Gordon added, prompting Tatsuya to follow him to the shop, leading him down a few alleys before finally ending up at their destination.

* * *

"Looks like Gordon's bringing in some fresh meat."

"Ha! It's a Crash Town boy!"

"How can you tell?"

"Dummy, look at his clothes and the hat. While I'm not a fan of the style, the vest looks killer. Maybe we can score that off him too."

* * *

"And here we are! Our very own, Duel Runner shop. This place has it all and for a good price too. All you need to do is mention my name and they will treat you well," Gordon informed.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Tatsuya replied casually before walking into the shop.

As he entered the shop, Tatsuya took note of all the Duel Runner parts that were set up inside. One thing was for sure, Tatsuya had plenty to work with. Reaching into his pocket, Tatsuya glanced down at the list of parts that were needed. The CPU was about the only thing that was there, but it had a list of specifications.

"Welcome to the duel shop! What can I do for you?" Came a voice from the back of the shop.

Stepping forward was a man with a mohawk wearing a brown leather vest with a torn green t-shirt, blue jeans and black boots. Tatsuya looked down at his list and then back up at the man.

"I'm looking for this CPU. Do you have anything like it here?" Tatsuya inquired.

"Hmmm," the shop owner mused, looking at the paper he was handed. "Ah! I believe I have this in stock. Gimme a second and I'll bring it out," he replied, handing Tatsuya back the paper.

"Thanks," Tatsuya stated, turning to take a look at the parts the shop had in stock while he waited.

 _These don't look half bad. If I had a Duel Runner, I might consider coming back here_ , He thought, observing the engine he spotted upon entry.

"Let's see...ah! Here it is!" The shop owner exclaimed, snatching the CPU off the shelf and placing it in a paper bag. "I knew I had one somewhere. You're in luck, it was the last one in stock until a new shipment comes in."

Tatsuya reached out and took the bag and looked inside.

 _It looks like what Toru asked for. I guess I was wrong to judge that Gordon guy so quickly,_ Tatsuya thought, closing the bag and taking out the money Toru had given him prior to leaving and handing it to the shop owner.

"Thanks a lot dude! I hope it works well enough for ya," the shop owner said with a bright smile.

"I have a feeling it'll be just fine. Thanks," Tatsuya replied, walking out the door after shaking the man's hand.

"So do I," the shop owner said with a mischievous grin.

* * *

 **As Tatsuya exited the shop, he began to make his way back to where he and Klaus had split. He had seen a few places he wanted to check out and had every intent on doing so. However, on the way, Gordon slipped up behind him and snatched up the CPU he'd just bought!**

* * *

"And this is where I remind myself not to ever trust short people with bowl cuts," Tatsuya muttered to himself as he trailed the weasel to what appeared to be his hideout.

The windows where shattered and the place looked to be in rough shape. It was almost funny how cartoonishly villainous Gordon was trying to be by leading him into what appeared to be an old abandoned building.

"When I get my hands on Gordon," Tatsuya said with gritted teeth, cracking his knuckles as he walked.

As he reached the entrance, a tall man stepped outside and barred his entry.

"What do you want punk?" He grunted, looking down on Tatsuya in an intimidating manner.

"Nothing from you, it's your bowl cut friend Gordon I'm after," Tatsuya said with a glare.

"I don't know who you're talking about. I haven't seen anyone go through here. So unless you want me to rearrange your face, I suggest you hightail it out of here country boy," the ruffian snapped.

"Really? Is that the best you can come up with? You Daimon guys really need to work on your insult game," Tatsuya shot back, shaking his head with a laugh.

"You've got some nerve comin' into our territory and talkin' like that. If you won't leave, I guess we'll have to make you," the thug growled, snapping his fingers as a signal for the others who were in hiding to come out.

Two other thugs stepped out of hiding, both bearing devious grins and cracking their knuckles.

"Really? Three against one? Man you guys are lame," an unfamiliar voice stated, alerting the group of a new presence.

Standing just off to the side was a young man with silver hair wearing a brown leather vest. Beside him was a similarly clad individual with black and yellow hair that was spiked on both sides.

"And just who are you guys supposed to be?" The thug scowled.

"You mean you haven't heard of us?" Another voice said from the opposite side. "You must live under a rock or something..."

Standing off to the side was none other than Jack Atlas. Which could only mean that Tatsuya was in the midst of the team known as Team Satisfaction. As Tatsuya observed the gathering of duelists, there was one thought that made him somewhat glad to be in the middle of the predicament he was in...

 _Oh...I can't wait to tell West about this!_

* * *

 **First Turn - Team Satisfaction!**

 **End Phase**


	3. Chapter 3

The inside of the hideout was as Tatsuya had expected it to be. Dark, and dingy with flickering light fixtures and crates placed off to the side of the hallways. All this served to do was make Tatsuya more irritated than he already was. Adjusting the straps of his Duel Disk, Tatsuya made his way down the pathway on the right.

It wasn't like he knew where to start looking. He figured that if someone were to try to hide, they would start where it was the most cluttered. Large sections of piping and some crates were seen lying around on the ground. As he searched, his eyes caught sight of a door that was slightly ajar, almost as if it had been shut in haste.

As he neared the door, he could hear snickering and someone talking to themself.

"I can't believe how easily that worked!" Gordon's voice echoed.

"Those country bumpkins are so clueless it's hilarious. I almost feel sorry for the guy," Gordon laughed.

"I wonder how much he paid for this thing. Either way, Kuroe made a killing. And with my friends taking care of Tatsuya, he'll learn the hard way how—"

"Things are done around here? Yeah...I pretty much figured that out the moment you snuck up on me and swiped my CPU," Tatsuya snapped.

"Whaaaat!? How did you, when did you?"

"Seems like your buddies had a string of bad luck. Team Satisfaction showed up which is why I'm here now," Tatsuya said sharply, stepping forward causing Gordon to back up slightly.

"Errraaagh! Those incompetent numbskulls! Looks like I have to do everything myself," Gordon cursed under his breath before brandishing a Duel Disk. "If you want this back, you'll have to defeat me in a duel!"

Tatsuya smirked at the prospect of a duel. For him, it would be easier just to knock the stuffing out of Gordon and take the CPU back. But where was the fun in that?

"A duel huh? I can agree to that," Tatsuya grinned, tapping the mechanism on his Duel Disk. A violet energy surrounded the device strapped to his arm. The card plate jutted out of the compartment, revealing a black playing field with illuminated monster card zones. The Life Point counter displayed the four-thousand points to signal the start of the duel.

Gordon marveled at the sight of the Duel Disk. He had never seen one like that before. An idea popped into his mind the moment it was displayed.

"How about we up the stakes a little bit? If you win, you get your precious CPU back, but if I win...I get your Duel Disk!" Gordon proposed.

"Really, an ante duel? You guys really have no honor do you? Fine then. But after I'm through with you, don't try to run anywhere...it won't do you much good," Tatsuya said sharply.

"Fine by me!" Gordon cackled.

"Duel!"

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc One - Second Turn - Dark World Wrath**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor**

* * *

Gordon grinned deviously as he activated his duel disk, taking his cards and slamming them into the deck slot before facing Tatsuya and readying his hand.

 **\- Duel -**

 **Gordon - 4000 LP**

 **Tatsuya - 4000 LP**

 **\- Duel -**

 **FIRST TURN - GORDON**

"Since we're in my abode, I will take the first turn," Gordon grinned, reaching into his deck to draw his first card.

"And I'll start with the magic of Double Summon!" Gordon stated, sliding the spell card into the slot to activate it.

"As you know, it allows me to summon twice in one turn, so I'll be summoning Samurai of the Ice Barrier and Defender of the Ice Barrier!" Gordon bellowed.

A vortex appeared on the field, bringing with it, chilling winds that signaled the coming threats to the battlefield. Surging onto the battlefield were two figures. One was a fox-like creature with icicles jutting out of his tail. The second was a samurai clad in an icy armor, brandishing a sword before him.

 _Samurai of the Ice Barrier - (Water/Warrior/Effect) - LV 4 (ATK/1800 DEF/1500)_

 _Defender of the Ice Barrier - (Water/Aqua/Tuner) - LV 3 (ATK/200 DEF/1600)_

 _That's a tuner monster_ , Tatsuya thought, looking at Defender with a frown. _He's planning on Synchro Summoning right away. This doesn't bode well..._

"I'm sure you've already put two and two together by now. And by that I mean, you're never getting your CPU back!" Gordon cackled, reaching for the extra deck slot to bring out a single card.

"I tune Samurai of the Ice Barrier and Defender of the Ice Barrier! Come on out, Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"

A deafening roar erupted from the blizzard that suddenly appeared onto the battlefield. In a majestic display, the mighty dragon unfurled his wings and dispersed the harsh blizzard, roaring again in an intimidating manner. The great dragon snarled as he spotted Tatsuya, his prey, ready to rend him in two.

 _Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier - (Water/Dragon/Synchro/Effect) - LV 7 (ATK/2500 DEF/1700)_

"And just like that, your hopes of winning drop even faster from the get go!" Gordon laughed, reaching for his hand once again.

"I'll place one card face down and end my turn. Go ahead, just try and stop my beast!" Gordon sneered.

A soft laugh escaped Tatsuya's lips, causing Gordon to dawn a confused look.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Gordon asked.

"It's nothin' really. Though pulling out the big guns right away is just an easier way to lose," Tatsuya said with a devious smirk.

"Say what!?" Gordon growled.

"My move. Draw!" Tatsuya stated sharply.

 **SECOND TURN - TATSUYA**

Tatsuya drew his first card of the duel and smirked. Hanging onto it, he looked over at Gordon before playing it.

"I activate Dark World Dealings!" Tatsuya declared, sliding the card into the slot to activate the spell.

"With this card, we both draw one card and then discard one card," Tatsuya explained, executing the command of the card while watching Gordon do the same.

 _Perfect! My Medallion of the Ice Barrier! With this card, I'll add more to my forces!_ Gordon thought with a sleazy grin.

"I'll discard Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World to the Graveyard and activate his effect," Tatsuya stated, using the card as a cost for Dark World Dealings.

"It doesn't matter what you do, my dragon will—what...what's happening!?" Gordon shrieked.

Gungnir began to roar in agony as beams of dark energy erupted from inside of it. With a blood curdling roar, the great dragon exploded into millions of pixels right before Gordon's very eyes. Gordon's jaw dropped.

"Wh-what did you do to my dragon!?" Gordon demanded.

"Kahkki's effect allows him to destroy any monster on the field once he's sent to the Graveyard by a card effect. Since I activated Dark World Dealings, well...you can figure out the rest," Tatsuya shrugged.

"You insolent country buffoon! You'll pay for that!" Gordon growled.

"Shut up and let me finish my turn," Tatsuya barked, fixing Gordon with a piercing stare.

Tatsuya reached for his hand and took hold of another card.

"I activate Dark World Lightning! This allows me to destroy one set card on the field at the cost of discarding a card from my hand," Tatsuya proclaimed, discarding one card as the cost for the spell.

A bolt of violet lightning shattered the air as it rocketed down onto the set card in front of Gordon. Bottomless Trap Hole was destroyed on the spot.

"Now that we've got that out of the way," Tatsuya continued, "I summon Brron, Mad King of Dark World, rise up!" Tatsuya declared fiercely.

Dark violet lightning erupted from beneath the arena, and rising up from the vortex that was created was a truly terrifying sight. The mix of exposed skeletal features and flesh and chains was more than enough to make anyone nauseous.

 _Brron, Mad King of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) - LV 4 (ATK/1800 DEF/400)_

"I hate to break this to you, but this is where the duel ends," Tatsuya stated.

Gordon snickered and pointed imperiously at Tatsuya's monster.

"I think you've got a few screws loose. That monster doesn't have nearly enough power to take me out this turn. Neither of us have lost any life points you fool!" Gordon cackled.

"We'll see about that after this," Tatsuya smirked. "Brron, attack, with Chain Lightning!" Tatsuya commanded.

The derranged King cackled maniacally before launching his chains towards Gordon. The chains crackled with dark electrical energy as they sailed through the air. The chains made a heavy impact on Gordon, knocking him on his behind.

 **Gordon - 2200 LP**

 **Tatsuya - 4000 LP**

"I'm still standing!" Gordon laughed, straightening up and fixing Tatsuya with a sneer. "So much for finishing me off this turn."

"Who said my attack was done?" Tatsuya grinned, reaching for another card in his hand. "You see, Brron is one of my more interesting monsters. His effect allows me to discard a card from my hand right after I've inflicted battle damage to my opponent. And the card I'm choosing, is Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World," Tatsuya continued, discarding the fiend from his hand.

"So, what good will that do you? It seems like a useless effect to me," Gordon grunted.

"Maybe in any other deck. But in a deck like mine? Well," Tatsuya concluded, gesturing to the vortex that suddenly opened up on the field.

"Wh-what's happening!? What are you doing!?" Gordon panicked, watching as the very monster Tatsuya discarded rose up from the dark vortex.

The muscular fiend roared as he rose up from the depths of the Dark World. Violet lightning flashed around his massive frame, a testament to his power and authority.

 _Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) - LV 6 (ATK/2400 DEF/0)_

Gordon backed up slightly, breaking out in a nervous sweat as he beheld the fiendish creature before him.

"Th-that means nothing. You've already attacked! Therefore I'm safe!" Gordon stated defiantly.

"That's what you think," Tatsuya said flatly. "See, the battle phase hasn't officially ended yet. Since he was summoned by his own effect..."

"You can still attack!?" Gordon exclaimed in horror.

"Hey, you're pretty smart after all. Though it didn't do you much good choosing me as a target for your twisted little game. Maybe next time you'll be smarter about who you steal from. Lucent! End this with Dark Vortex!" Tatsuya commanded.

Lightning erupted around Lucent who extended a clawed hand outwards. The highly concentrated electricity surged through his frame and down his arm, forming an orb of darkness that erupted outward like a spiraling vortex, tearing the battlefield asunder on its way to Gordon.

"Noooooooooo!" Gordon shrieked as he tried to run from the blast.

BOOM! The blast hit with devastating force, sending Gordon skidding along the ground, slamming his back to the wall.

 **Gordon - 0 LP**

 **Tatsuya - 4000 LP**

"I'll be taking that CPU back," Tatsuya stated, reaching down and snatching up the bag that Gordon had stolen from him.

"Y-You scum!" Gordon growled, rising to a stand while Tatsuya walked towards the exit. "You'll regret this!"

"The only thing I'm regretting is looking at your face," Tatsuya fired back, exiting the room and leaving Gordon to his own devices.

* * *

 **Turn Two - Dark World Wrath**

 **End Phase**


	4. Chapter 4

Swindled, cheated, scammed. Whatever one wishes to call it, Tatsuya'd been had. Frustrated didn't even begin to cover how he felt in that moment. After Yusei had informed him that the CPU he'd purchased was nothing but junk, he was infuriated.

"Sorry man, but they sold you some badly made junk. It looks like it was intentionally done too," Yusei sighed.

"Seriously!?" Kalin exclaimed, clenching his fists in rage.

"Afraid so. Do you remember where the shop was that sold this to you?" Yusei inquired.

"Actually, I do," Tatsuya frowned. "And I think it's time I got my money back..."

"Take us there too. I'm going to have a few words with that scum bag," Kalin snarled.

The trio made their way down the path that Tatsuya had memorized and eventually lead them to the Duel Runner shop where he'd purchased the junk.

Inside the shop, several voices were heard talking and laughing amongst themselves.

"Gordon really scored for us this time Kuroe!" Said a purple-haired thug as he counted the money that Kuroe had just made.

"I know right!? And it was off a guy from Crash Town. I didn't know they had that kind of money out there. This is at least three grand right here," Kuroe said with a grin.

"I can't believe he fell for it though! You'd think he would have had the smarts to check the merchandise before buyin' it," laughed the other thug.

"You know," Tatsuya interrupted, "I was just thinking that very same thing. It was pretty stupid of me not to get a glimpse at the device before walking out with it wasn't it?"

Kuroe and his friend whipped around in surprise, their eyes widening the moment they Tatsuya inside their shop.

"I'll be taking my money back if you don't mind," Tatsuya said sharply.

"Sorry, we don't give no refunds here," Kuroe retorted. "Now get goin' before we have to get rough with you."

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen. The only one's getting roughed up around here...are you guys," said Kalin as he walked into the shop, sending a quiver down Kuroe's spine.

As Yusei waited outside, he began to hear cries of pain from within the shop.

"Not the face...not the face!"

"Arm doesn't bend that way. Arm doesn't bend that way!"

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc One - Third Turn - La Femme En Blanc**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor**

* * *

"Well that went well," Tatsuya muttered, counting up the money in his hand to make sure he had everything.

"Those guys had it coming to them," Kalin grumbled.

"Do you think we overdid it?" Tatsuya inquired, getting a shrug out of Kalin.

"Don't know, but once they wake up, they'll definitely be feeling it," Kalin replied.

"I'm pretty sure you guys gave them a concussion," Yusei added.

Tatsuya sweat-dropped and scratched the back of his head.

"Maybe I did go a little overboard," Tatsuya said with a sigh.

"Either way, those two won't be swindling anyone else anytime soon," Kalin stated, getting a nod from Yusei and Tatsuya.

"So, what's your name? I don't think we ever fully introduced ourselves back there," Kalin asked Tatsuya.

"It's Tatsuya Tokunaga, nice to finally meet you guys," Tatsuya replied.

"So you already know who we are then huh? Wasn't sure our names spread out as far as you are," Kalin laughed.

"Crash Town isn't as out of the loop as people assume. Just because we're in the middle of the desert doesn't mean we don't know anything," Tatsuya chuckled.

"I guess you're right," Kalin nodded.

Yusei glanced down at Tatsuya's Duel Disk. "That's a pretty nice Duel Disk you have. It's a newer model isn't it?"

"Actually I built this one. It took me a while to gather the parts I needed, but I was able to create my ideal Duel Disk. It's a lot easier to use than the models they have out now," Tatsuya explained.

"Looks like it. It's not as bulky," Kalin inputted.

"It's very lightweight," Tatsuya added.

As the trio continued to walk and talk, the sight of a duel going on caught their attention. Two duelists stood in front of the card shop. One was muscular and had a green mohawk. He wore a torn red shirt and brown leather jacket and jeans with brown boots. He looked almost exactly like Kuroe. Across from him was a tall, blonde woman with penetrating emerald eyes and fair skin. She had a very fit frame and wore a suit that accented every curve, fitting her like a glove. The suit was primarily white with red steaks down both sides.

"So babe, what'cha gonna do now? I've got you cornered. You might as well hand over that card now," the thug grinned.

 **Thug - 2700 LP**

 **Woman - 1200 LP**

"If that is what you think I'm going to do, then you 'ave another thing coming!" Said the woman as she drew with a flourish.

"I activate the effect of Monster Reborn, bringing back my Sacred Knight's Spearholder. Survenir!" She commanded fiercely.

Up from the grave rose a woman with long crimson locks, clad in armor and carrying a heavy spear.

 _Noble Knight's Spearholder (Light/Warrior/Effect) - LV 2 (ATK/800 DEF/400)_

"And now, I will summon my Fleur Synchron to the field. Avancer!" She called out.

Bursting onto the battle zone was flower-shaped monster with large eyes and a wide, devious grin.

 _Fleur Synchron (Light/Machine/Tuner/Effect) - LV 2 (ATK/400 DEF/200)_

"Buahahaha! A lot of good those'll do ya sweetheart! Against my Gladiator Beast Augustus, they'll be squashed!" Laughed the ruffian.

A smirk appeared on the face of the female duelist, suggesting to Tatsuya that she was plotting something _big._ A slight chuckle escaped her lips.

"I think that you are wrong. 'Aven't you noticed it by now? Fleur Synchron is a tuner monster. And I 'ave three monsters on the field while you will soon 'ave none," she stated with a firm tone.

"I activate Lightning Vortex! By discarding one card, I am allowed to destroy all monsters on your side of the field! Adieu, Augustus!" She shouted powerfully.

Dark clouds formed over the playing field, and with them came the sound of thunder. Suddenly, several bolts of lightning crashed down onto the ground and began to spiral around Augustus. The Gladiator Beast roared in defiance of his fate as the vortex of lighting converged and consumed him.

"Augustus! Noooo!" The thug roared, glaring back at the woman who simply narrowed her eyes. "You'll pay for that!"

"I think not. The only one paying for anything is you! You are a disgrace to all good men and 'ave no right to address me in such a revolting manner," she scowled. "It's time for the coup de grâce! I tune my Fleur Synchron with Noble Knight Joan and Sacred Knight's Spearholder!" She declared, reaching for the card that shot out of the Extra Deck slot and brandishing it. "Venez mon chevalier! Chevalier De Fleur!"

In a flurry of cherry blossoms, a red caped woman, clad in armor of pink, gold and silver coloration, burst onto the field and brandished her blade in an intimidating manner.

 _Chevalier De Fleur (Wind/Warrior/Synchro/Effect) - LV 8 (ATK/2700 DEF/2300)_

"Sorry sweetheart, but I activate Bottomless Trap Hole! Say night night to your Knight!" The thug laughed, only to gawk as the femme fatale was not destroyed.

Instead, she withdrew her blade and flickered out of view, slashing straight through the trap that had reared its ugly head.

"Wha-what!? How!?"

"It is simple. Chevalier De Fleur is able to negate and destroy Spell or Trap cards upon activation during either player's turn. It seems that you are, how should I put this? Pas de chance?" She smirked.

"What does that even mean!?" The ruffian exclaimed.

"How can I put this in terms you can understand? It means you are finished! Chevalier De Fleur, terminez ce duel! Flourishing Strike!"

In a flash, Fleur De Chevalier surged forward, her blade aglow with a pink aura as she withdrew it. In a swift motion, she slashed through her opponent, depleting his life points completely.

 **Thug - 0 LP**

 **Woman - 1200 LP**

"You...you..."

"Awww, what is the matter? Does the cat 'ave your tongue? Nothing left to say?" The woman said as she stepped forward, causing the thug to take a few steps back.

"You wench, don't come any closer!" The ruffian growled.

The woman's eyes went wide at his remark. A look of frustration dawned on her features as she clenched a fist in front of her. Gritting her teeth, she launched a swift punch and socked him across his jaw, sending him staggering backward only to be kicked hard in the gut, forcing him to his knees. The woman proceeded to place her heel on his back and forced him to the ground.

"You pig! Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of!" She scowled, kicking his side harshly.

The thug scrambled to his feet and fled the scene, hollering over his shoulder.

"You'll pay for this!"

As he ran out of sight, the woman huffed and turned on her heel, only to be met with the eyes of several onlookers, one of which caught her attention with his amethyst hues.

"Excusez-moi," she said with a sigh. "I didn't realize I had...spectators?" She half asked, making it painfully obvious that English was not her first language.

"And I didn't realize I'd get to witness a second beat-down. You really kicked his ass," Kalin laughed.

"Well, 'e deserved it. What kind of man treats a lady that way?" She grumbled, flipping her hair and shaking her head.

"A pretty stupid one," Tatsuya inputted, crossing his arms.

"Brutality aside, that was an awesome duel," Yusei added with a smirk.

"Merci, it was a troubling battle, but in the end, I was victorious. I 'ope that 'e never returns," she muttered, shaking her head in disgust.

"After what you just did, I don't think he'll be coming back anytime soon," Tatsuya stated with a grin.

The woman nodded. Hearing a ringing sound, she sighed and reached down into her pocket and pulled out a phone.

"Oui, Elsworth?" She greeted.

"I see, merci, I will be there soon. Au revoir," she finished, ending the call and putting the phone back into her pocket.

"Je m'excuse, but I'm afraid I need to go. Perhaps we will meet again," she stated, looking pointedly at Tatsuya before walking off towards a parked duel runner.

Putting on her helmet, she revved up the engine and drove out of the city.

* * *

 **Third Turn - La Femme En Blanc**

 **End Phase**


	5. Chapter 5

Tatsyua couldn't help but replay the duel he'd witnessed in his mind, several times over. The woman he'd seen dueling had intrigued him to a surprising degree. The calm demeanor she kept while being at a disadvantage was something she obviously was able to obtain through many years of practice. Some duelists lose their cool at the slightest change in Life Points. The expression she held spoke more than words could express. She knew she had that duel won. In essence, Tatsuya surmised that the woman was toying with her opponent, a practice Tatsuya exercised on occasion.

He was almost sad to see her leave. He had contemplated dueling her straight after she'd finished the neanderthal that challenged her in the first place. Alas, with no knowledge of who she was or where she was going, he would have to wait for the opportunity to come along, if it ever did. Having said his goodbyes to Yusei and the others, Tatsuya made his way towards the city's entrance, only to stop as he saw a little girl looking around as though she were lost.

"Crow? Where'd you go!?" She called out, looking one way than another.

Analyzing the situation, Tatsuya took it upon himself to assist the little girl with her issue.

"You okay?" Tatsuya inquired as he approached, startling the girl in the process.

"Ahhh! Who are you!?" She exclaimed, stepping back a little.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you," Tatsuya replied with a reassuring smile.

Seeing the change in expression, the little girl's face softened a little and a smile broke out over her features.

"I'm looking for Crow. I can't seem to find him anywhere," the little girl mumbled.

"Crow...you mean the other member of Team Satisfaction?" Tatsuya asked with a raised brow. "Spiky orange hair right?"

"Yes! That's him!" The little girl exclaimed.

Tatsuya sighed and shook his head.

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know where to find him. But I can't leave you out here by yourself. It's not safe," Tatsuya said as he looked around. "Why don't we go this way? Maybe we'll run into him by the pier."

"You're right! Thanks stranger!" She chirped.

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc One - Fourth Turn - Blackwing Assault!**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor**

* * *

"Crap, where'd Lilie go? I told her to stay here while I was gone!" Crow said as he frantically looked around the pier.

"CROW!" Came a small girl's voice, prompting Crow to quickly whip around as he was tackle-hugged by the small child.

"Lilie! There you are, where were you? I told you to stay here. Why did you go off on your own?" Crown scolded.

"Y-You were...were...gone a long time!" Lilie blubbered.

"It was only for an hour. I said I'd be right back," Crow frowned.

"Still! It felt like forever! I had to get help to find you!" She shouted, flailing her arms.

"Help? From who?" Crow inquired curiously.

"That guy!" Lilie added, pointing to Tatsuya.

Crow glanced over at Tatsuya and looked him over. The stoic expression on his face was a clear indication of the composed individual he was. Crow didn't know why, but he felt a strong vibe coming from Tatsuya.

 _This guy's intense..._

"Hey, thanks for looking after Lilie. I appreciate that," Crow stated, walking up to Tatsuya and extending his hand.

"No problem," Tatsuya replied, shaking Crows hand with a firm grip.

"So, what's your name? I don't think I've seen you around here before," Crow queried.

"It's Tatsuya, nice to meet you Crow," Tatsuya said with a faint smile.

"Tatsuya huh? Nice name. Well Tatsuya, thanks again for the help. If there's anything I can do to repay you, just let me know," Crow grinned.

"No need to trouble yourself, it was nothing," Tatsuya replied with a shrug.

"If you say so. I'll still try to help you out someday, you can count on it," Crow beamed.

"If that's what you want, it's fine by me," Tatsuya stated, turning to leave and find his grandfather.

As Tatsuya walked away, Crow took note of the Duel Disk attached to his arm. A smirk crossed Crow's features at this discovery. Reaching down to his own duel disk, Crow activated it.

"Hey Tatsuya!" Crow called out, prompting Tatsuya to turn around.

Turning to face Crow, Tatsuya spotted the Duel Disk at the ready.

"What do you say pal? Up for a duel?" Crow grinned, sliding his deck into the deck compartment of the duel disk.

 _A duel with one of the members of Team Satisfaction huh? As if meeting them wasn't enough. This'll make for a good story to tell the others..._

"Why not? I don't have to be anywhere for another hour. Sure," Tatsuya replied with a half smile, activating his Duel Disk and brandishing it before him.

"Let's duel!" They cried in unison.

 **\- Duel -**

 **Crow - 4000 LP**

 **Tatsuya - 4000 LP**

 **\- Duel –**

 **FIRST TURN - TATSUYA**

 _I can't believe I'm facing off against a member of Team Satisfaction. West is gonna flip when he hears this..._

"My draw!" Tatsuya declared, snatching a card from the deck slot and placing it in his hand.

"And to start, I'll activate Dark World Dealings! This means we each draw a card and discard one card," Tatsuya informed Crow, making each player discard the needed cards after drawing one.

"And now, the stage is set!" Tatsuya grinned.

"Set for what?" Crow inquired hesitantly.

"I activate the effect of a monster in my Graveyard. Sillva, Warlord of Dark World, come forth!" Tatsuya cried out.

A series of purple lightning bolts erupted from the ground towards the sky, bringing with it a terrifying monstrosity. Bones jutted out of the exposed flesh of the creature. Two large horns protruded from either side of the monsters face. Ethereal blue eyes stared in Crows' direction as if looking directly into his soul. The creature readied its blades and snarled maliciously.

 _Sillva, Warlord of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) - LV 5 (ATK/2300 DEF/1400)_

Crow let out a low whistle as he saw the fiend rise up from the ground. And just when he thought Tatsuya was done, Tatsuya reached for another card.

"Since that was a Special Summon, I am allowed to summon again. And I choose Brron, Mad King of Dark World!" Tatsuya declared, bringing his deranged king onto the field.

 _Brron, Mad King of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) - LV 4 (ATK/1800 DEF/400)_

"I'll place two cards face down and end my turn," Tatsuya finished.

"That's quite a start! It's only the first turn and you've already got a high powered monster out. Let's see what I can do about it," Crow beamed. "Draw!"

 **SECOND TURN - CROW**

"I gotta hand it to you Tatsuya. You have a pretty tough set-up. But as good as it is, it won't be enough! I Special Summon, Blackwing - Gust the Backblast!" Crow declared confidently.

A loud shout was heard accompanied by the sound of flapping wings that signaled the appearance of Crows' monster. The bird/human hybrid hovered over the battlefield and spread his raven wings wide.

 _Blackwing - Gust the Backblast - (Dark/Winged Beast/Effect) - LV 2 (ATK/900 DEF/1400)_

"Now that he's out, I'm gonna bring Blackwing - Bora the Spear to the field as well!" Crow proclaimed, bringing forth his spear-bearing winged beast to the battle.

A loud screech signified the arrival of the latest creature. Bora touched down and gripped his spear, ready to go on the assault.

 _Blackwing - Bora the Spear - (Dark/Winged Beast/Effect) - LV 4 (ATK/1700 DEF/800)_

He's got two monsters as well. So this is what dueling Team Satisfaction is like huh? I have a feeling he's not done yet...

"And last but not least, I'll summon Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North! Take flight!" Crow called out.

A loud screeching caw echoed through the sky as Blizzard the Far North made his entrance. Though small, Tatsuya knew never to underestimate any card.

 _Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North - (Dark/Winged Beast/Tuner/Effect) - LV 2 (ATK/1300 DEF/0)_

"Tatsuya. You've shown me one of your strongest cards, now it's time I showed you mine! I tune my three monsters together to summon, Blackwing - Silverwind the Ascendant! Take flight!"

Bursting onto the scene was a black-winged creature wielding a long, thin blade, eager for the battle at hand. He stood in front of Crow, blade at the ready.

 _Blackwing - Silverwind the Ascendant - (Dark/Winged Beast/Synchro/Effect) - LV 8 (ATK/2800 DEF/2000)_

"One more thing Tatsuya. Once he's been Synchro summoned, his effect immediately takes place. Any of your monsters who have defense points that are lower than Silverwind's attack points are automatically destroyed!" Crow revealed.

"That's not good!" Tatsuya exclaimed.

True to Crow's words, Silverwind's blade began to glow with a dark aura. In a swift motion, a crescent shaped blast was emitted from the blade, destroying both Sillva and Brron in one stroke, creating an explosion that lit up the battlefield. When the smoke cleared, Brron and Sillva were nowhere to be seen.

"And I'm just getting started. See, Silverwind can't attack after he activates that effect. So I guess I need to bring out something that can. I've got two monsters that ought to do the trick. Since I control a Blackwing monster, I'm allowed to Special Summon these two. Another Blackwing - Bora the Spear and Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind!" Crow cried out.

 _Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind - (Dark/Winged Beast/Tuner/Effect) - LV 3 (ATK/1300 DEF/400)_

 _Blackwing - Bora the Spear - (Dark/Winged Beast/Tuner/Effect) - LV 4 (ATK/1700 DEF/800)_

"Attack Tatsuya directly!" Crow ordered.

Tatsuya braced himself, crossing his arms as both of Crows' monsters converged upon him, slashing straight through his Life Points.

 **Crow - 4000**

 **Tatsuya - 1000**

"And with that, I'll set one card and end my turn," Crow finished, turning it over to Tatsuya.

"My turn then. Draw!" Tatsuya bellowed, snatching a card from the deck slot.

 **THIRD TURN TATSUYA**

"Man, this isn't looking good for me is it?" Tatsuya laughed, shaking his head at the situation. "I guess it's a good thing I set this. I activate The Cheerful Coffin!" Tatsuya called out, revealing the trap he'd set.

"What's that do?" Crow inquired, slightly worried about the trap that was just sprung.

"Not much, except I discard two Monster Cards to the Graveyard…" Tatsuya informed.

"Next I'll activate my face-down Reckless Greed, enabling me to draw two cards at the cost of skipping two draw phases," Tatsuya added.

"One more thing Crow. The cards I just discarded where Khakki, Guerilla of Dark World and Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World. However, it's my Guerilla you should be worried about right now," Tatsuya grinned.

"And why's that?" Crow asked hesitantly.

"Because when he's discarded by a card effect, I'm allowed to target one monster on your side of the field and destroy it! And I choose Silverwind!" Tatsuya revealed.

"Say what!?" Crow exclaimed.

At Tatsuya's words, Silverwind began to go into a fit of convulsions, his chest expanding and retracting as beams of dark violet light erupted from his frame. Silverwind suddenly burst into a million pixels and was gone from the field.

"I now summon Zure, Knight of Dark World!" Tatsuya declared, slamming the card onto the deck zone.

Rising up from the ground in a vortex of violet lightning was a decrepit knight, bearing a thick, sharp blade. A low hiss followed by a cloud of steam, came from Zure as he stared Crow down.

 _Zure, Knight of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend) - LV 4 (ATK/1800 DEF/1500)_

"Zure won't be staying very long, even though I'm sure he'd love to pay your monsters back for what they did. I'm afraid he's going to have to make room for something much stronger," Tatsuya smirked.

"You're kidding..." Crow groaned.

"You wish I was kidding," Tatsuya stated firmly. "I activate the effect of Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World in my Graveyard, returning Zure to my hand in order to bring Grapha to the field! Arise and destroy!" Tatsuya shouted fiercely.

The dreaded abomination of a dragon roared to life as he rose from the ground, snarling in an intimidating manner as he gazed upon his prey.

 _Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) - LV 8 (ATK/2700 DEF/1800)_

"And this is where his effect comes into play. Since he was discarded by a card effect, I get to destroy one card on the field, and I think I'll take out whatever you've got in your back row!" Tatsuya declared.

At his command, Grapha roared and loosed a beam of dark fire from his mouth, engulfing Crow's trap in flames. The trap known as Guard Mines was obliterated.

"Crap...I was gonna use that!" Crow growled.

"I'm not done yet Crow. I activate my other face-down Gateway to Dark World! This allows me to target one Dark World monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it!" Tatsuya exclaimed. "So come on back, Sillva, Warlord of Dark World!" Tatsuya shouted.

Rising up from the depths of the earth was the mighty warlord, ready to exact vengeance upon Crow for his earlier destruction.

 _Sillva, Warlord of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) - LV 5 (ATK/2300 DEF/1400)_

"And for good measure, I activate the Field Spell, The Gates of Dark World!" Tatsuya hollered, sliding the Field Spell into the correct zone.

Rising up from the ground were a pair of massive doors with engravings on them that were similar to that of the ones on Sillva's body. The gates burst open causing the ground to tremble. A blinding light engulfed the field.

"Because The Gates of Dark World is now on the field, all Fiends gain a 300 point power boost," Tatsuya informed Crow.

 _Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World - (ATK/3000 DEF/2100)_

 _Sillva, Warlord of Dark World - (ATK/2600 DEF/ 1700)_

"Thaaaat's not good!" Crow stated, bracing himself for the inevitable.

"Grapha, attack Bora the Spear! Sillva, destroy Gale the Whirlwind!" Tatsuya commanded.

Grapha opened his mouth wide, causing sparks of dark lightning to crackle within. Rearing his head back, he lurched forward and a blast of dark fire erupted from his mouth and eradicated Bora on the spot. In that same instance, Sillva charged Gale and sliced clean through the dark feathered creature, cleaving it in two.

 **Crow - 1400 LP**

 **Tatsuya - 1000 LP**

"Before I end my turn, I activate Allure of Darkness, drawing two cards and banishing one monster out of play," Tatsuya stated, executing the effect of his Spell Card.

"That ends my turn," Tatsuya stated.

"Ouch, that was a hell of a turn! Not sure if I'll be able to come back from that one," Crow laughed, drawing his next card.

 **TURN FOUR - CROW**

"Alright, I've got my second wind!" Crow declared, a confident grin forming on his features.

"First off, it's time to say hello to an old friend! I summon Blackwing - Gust the Backblast!" Crow cried out, summoning an old nemesis to the field.

"And after him comes another familiar face. Welcome back, Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind!" Crow commanded, bringing back yet another foe Tatsuya had previously destroyed.

When Gale is on the field, I get to activate one of his special abilities. This allows me to cut one of your monsters' attack points in half! I choose Sillva!" Crow declared.

Gale spread his wings and flapped them hard, sending a gust of wind that carved Sillvas' attack points in half.

"Now that we have that out of the way, I'll be summoning one more time. Since my past two summons were Special Summons, I have one more summon left! I summon Blackwing - Fane the Steel Chain!" Crow shouted.

Once again, Crow had three monsters on the field for Tatsuya to contend with. But something told him that Crow wasn't keeping them there for long.

"Time to end this Tatsuya. I tune my three Blackwings in order to summon, Blackwing- Armor Master!" Crow roared, drawing from the Extra Deck and holding up his trump card before slamming it down onto the field.

A great pressure was felt as the Armor Master was beckoned to the field. He was clad in an indestructable armor that had crimson designs along the wings, pauldrons and chest piece. The armored winged beast flexed and screeched as he descended.

 _Blackwing Armor Master - (Dark/Winged Beast/Synchro/Effect) - LV 7 (ATK/2500 DEF/1500)_

 _Blackwing Armor Master...that's one hell of a card!_

Tatsuya braced himself, awaiting the inevitable impact to take place.

"Blackwing Armor Master! Attack Sillva with Black Hurricane!" Crow commanded.

With a mighty flap of his wings, a harsh cyclone of dark winds erupted from the epicenter of Armor Master's body. The blast barreled towards Sillva and carried him into the air, destroying him instantly.

 **Crow - 1400 LP**

 **Tatsuya - 0 LP**

* * *

 **Fourth Turn - Blackwing Assault**

 **End Phase**


	6. Chapter 6

"Unreal! You got to meet Team Satisfaction!?" Toru exclaimed.

"Yep. And they're every bit as good as they're made out to be. When I went in after that slime ball Gordon, they mopped the floor with the gang that tried to attack me and sent them packing. And after making Gordon shart himself, I got the part you wanted back. Unfortunately it was a piece of trash. However...

 _Five hours ago..._

"Sheesh. I could have sworn I had that one in the bag. I guess Team Satisfaction isn't the best for nothing," Tatsuya laughed, stepping forward to shake Crows' hand.

"Well, I can't say I wasn't worried after you pulled out Grapha and Sillva. Had I not drawn the cards that I did, I wouldn't have been able to pull it off," Crow grinned. "You had me worried for a while."

"Ha! I guess so. Still, that Blackwing Armor Master is quite the card. I'm glad I got the chance to see it," Tatsuya said with a faint smile.

"That was one hell of a duel!" Came Kalin's voice, causing the two duelists to turn towards the leader of Team Satisfaction.

"I agree. You're a pretty good duelist Tatsuya. Maybe next time you're in town, we can square off," Jack said with a smirk.

 _Already beat you in my dreams. Maybe I'll get a crack at you in real life after all..._

"I'd like that. It'll give me a chance to see how I stack up to the rest of you," Tatsuya smirked.

"I wouldn't mind a duel either," Yusei added. "I was intrigued by your strategy. It's a pretty solid tactic you have going there."

"Thanks Yusei," Tatsuya replied. "It took me a while to form this deck. But it worked out the way I had hoped."

"Good to know. Oh yeah! I nearly forgot," Yusei paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small CPU chip, "this is for you. It should replace the phoney CPU that shopkeeper sold you."

"You sure Yusei? I mean...you sure you don't want me to pay for it?" Tatsuya inquired.

"It's cool. Just take it," Yusei said with a smile.

"Thanks man. I'll make sure it's well taken care of," Tatsuya replied.

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc One - Fifth Turn - Turbo Toru!**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor!**

* * *

"Here's your money by the way," Tatsuya stated, handing Toru the money he'd given him to purchase the part with.

"Huh? You mean you didn't get another one?" Toru inquired, a trickle of sweat sliding down his face as he took the money.

"Oh I got another one alright. It's better than the piece of scrap I was given. Straight from Yusei himself," Tatsuya grinned, handing Toru the CPU he was given.

Toru's eyes widened slightly as he saw the CPU chip. He took it and analyzed it.

"Dude! This is way better than what I asked for! I think this will help me finish the Duel Runner!" Toru exclaimed.

"What? Already?" Tatsuya blinked, taken aback by the statement Toru just made.

"What do you think I was doing while you were in town? Looking at magazines all day?" Toru laughed.

"Yes..." Tatsuya deadpanned.

"Err...okay fair point. I did take a tiny break," Toru laughed. "I can't help it. Duelist Weekly is out and there are some great tips for beginning Turbo Duelists! That...and the center folds are nice too. Like Sherry Leblanc!" Toru exclaimed, opening up a magazine to reveal the woman Tatsuya had seen in front of the card shop.

"Man, if I could meet her, my life would be nearly complete," Toru grinned.

"So by almost, you mean it will be once you meet Misty Tredwell as well," Tatsuya grimaced.

"That's about the size of it," Toru grinned.

"Then I suppose I shouldn't tell you that I met Sherry Leblanc in the city today," Tatsuya smirked.

"Say what!?" Toru exclaimed.

"Oops. Did I say that out loud?" Tatsuya snickered.

"You're playin' me. Right?" Toru said in a hopeful tone.

"I dunno. Seeing Chevalier De Fleur on the field was pretty sweet," Tatsuya continued, getting a disgruntled look from Toru.

"So you really did see her. Lucky punk," Toru muttered.

"Is that jealousy I hear?" Tatsuya laughed.

"Put a sock in it Tatsuya," Toru smirked, elbowing his friend playfully.

* * *

 **The two laughed together and discussed the rest of the events that happened in town. Toru was astonished to learn that Tatsuya had taken on Crow in a duel and almost won. Needless to say, his jealousy grew just a bit more after getting that type of news. As the time passed, Tatsuya decided it was time to go and check on Nico and West.**

* * *

Tatsuya knocked on the door to the hideout and waited for West and Nico to answer. The door opened to reveal West whose face lit up upon seeing his friend.

"Nico! Tatsuya's back!" West exclaimed.

"Hey you two," Tatsuya greeted, getting a tight hug from West and then one from Nico as she came to greet him.

"How was your trip into the city? Did you get any new cards? Did you duel anyone cool!? Tell me!" West pleaded.

"West? Must you be so impatient? Give Tatsuya a chance to sit and rest. He's had a long day. Though I am curious...what did you do in the city?" Nico inquired.

"Well, since you asked," Tatsuya laughed.

* * *

 **Tatsuya began to explain what happened while he was in the city. He spoke of how he had been tricked by Gordon and of how he defeated the little con artist. West's excitement grew the moment Team Satisfaction was mentioned. Nico was surprised as well. West laughed when he told them about what he and Kalin did to the shopkeeper and his partner. Nico, though she abhorred violence, thought the two had it coming to them.**

* * *

"And then I dueled Crow. Man was that one heck of a duel," Tatsuya laughed.

"You dueled Crow! That's awesome! Did'ja win!?" West asked eagerly.

"Are you kidding? I lost. But I nearly beat him. Had he not summoned Armor Master, I would have won. But eh, can't complain," Tatsuya shrugged.

"It sounds like you had a blast," Nico inputted.

"You're not kidding," Tatsuya smirked. "I hope I get to see them again. They were really nice. They even said they wouldn't mind dueling me if I ever came back."

"That's so cool!" West and Nico both exclaimed.

"What's shakin' you three? Did I hear you guys talking about Team Satisfaction again?" Toru stated as he walked into the hideout.

"Toru! Did you hear!? Tatsuya met Team Satisfaction and dueled with Crow! He also beat up a thug with Kalin. Isn't that cool!?" West exclaimed.

Toru laughed and nodded.

"Yep. And it's all thanks to my request," Toru grinned.

"If that's true," Nico paused, tapping her chin with her index finger, "doesn't that mean that it was because of your request that Tatsuya was put in that dangerous situation to begin with?" Nico asked.

Toru recoiled at the statement made by Nico and scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Well uh...I guess I didn't think about that. Anyway! I came to tell you guys some important news. After several months of turmoil, blood sweat and tears, I have finally completed my Duel Runner!" Toru said proudly.

"Really!?" West and Nico squealed in excitement.

"Oh yeah! Toru's goin' turbo baby! You guys wanna come watch?" Toru asked enthusiastically.

"You bet!" West and Nico said in unison.

"Yo Tatsuya, you comin' too?" Toru asked curiously.

"Huh? Sure, why not? Might as well see how well you can ride," Tatsuya smirked, getting a thumbs up from Toru.

* * *

In the center of Crash Town, a woman stood outside the town's Flower Shop. She had dark brown hair and brown eyes. Her skin was lightly tanned and she wore a long pink skirt and a black top that was tied in the front, securing her bosom. Standing beside her was a man with a receding hairline and three yellow marks on his face, a symbol of having been in the Facility. He wore a neckerchief and a vest that was brown along with a long sleeve white dress shirt beneath.

"It seems like things are starting to fall into place aren't they?" The man said with a smirk, leaning against one of the supports on the deck of the Flower Shop.

"Indeed they are. The time for our takeover is coming quickly. But we need to be patient and wait for the opportune moment. Our time will come, Malcom..."

* * *

"Whoa! Look at Toru go!" West exclaimed as he watched Toru race around on the outskirts of Crash Town.

"He's really tearing it up out there," Tatsuya observed, watching as Toru made a few tight turns before racing in their direction.

"Looks more like he's being reckless to me," Nico said with a worried frown.

"Whoa, whoa whoa!" Toru shouted as he barely got his bearings straight and leveled out again as he skidded to a stop in front of the group, spraying sand everywhere.

Tatsuya instinctively closed his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his face to protect his eyes. Nico and West did the same before lowering their arms.

"Whoops! Sorry about that you guys," Toru laughed nervously.

"Toru!" West complained, coughing a little and shaking the sand off his clothes.

"My dress..." Nico groaned.

"What? I said sorry," Toru muttered.

"It's okay Toru. No harm done," Tatsuya said as he brushed the sand from his hair and clothes.

"So, how'd I do out there? Pretty cool huh?" Toru grinned.

"Cooler than cool! You were awesome Toru!" West shouted enthusiastically.

"Just be sure to work on your stopping next time," Nico cautioned, getting a chuckle out of Toru.

"Yeah, I'll do that. So, Tatsuya, how about you? Wanna give my Duel Runner a test drive?" Toru asked him, getting a raised brow from the Dark World duelist.

"Me? Ride your Duel Runner? You sure about that?" Tatsuya blinked.

"Yeah! Come on, just for a spin. You don't need to go far, just a few laps around the desert ought to do it," Toru grinned, handing Tatsuya the helmet he'd been wearing.

Tatsuya took it and looked at it for a moment. Was he really about to be able to ride a Duel Runner? Nervously, he put the helmet on and got onto the Duel Runner. Adjusting himself on the seat he looked over at his friends who gave him a thumbs up.

"Go for it man!" Toru urged him.

"Yeah...sure," Tatsuya replied, taking a deep breath as he grabbed hold of the handgrips and revved the engine to life. The roar of the engine send a shiver through Tatsuya's frame. Mixed with fear and excitement, Tatsuya popped the clutch and took off, kicking up dust as he raced.

"That..." Toru coughed, "was a really fast start!" Toru said as he brushed the dust from his face.

Tatsuya did his best to keep his focus, though he wobbled a bit as he rode, trying to get the hang of the Duel Runner.

"That's it! Keep it up!" Toru encouraged as he watched Tatsuya start to get a grip on the concept of riding.

Turning up the speed, Tatsuya rocketed forward and leaned into a turn, arcing wide before coming back around and making a slightly rocky stop in front of the group. Breathing heavily, Tatsuya removed the helmet and took a deep breath.

"Not bad dude! How do ya feel?" Toru asked, waiting for Tatsuya to catch his breath.

"That...was incredible!" Tatsuya laughed, slowly getting off the Duel Runner and dusting himself off. "I felt like I was flying out there."

"Heh, you actually started off faster than I did. Not a bad start dash dude!" Toru commended him.

"Thanks, but I think it was just pure excitement on my part. I was hasty," Tatsuya grinned.

"That was so cool Tatsuya!" West cheered.

"Are you alright Tatsuya? You looked nervous out there," Nico stated, walking up to Tatsuya with a concerned look on her visage.

Tatsuya gave her a reassuring smile before placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I'm okay Nico. You worry too much sometimes, you know?" Tatsuya stated softly.

Nico smiled faintly and nodded.

"I suppose I do, don't I?" Nico replied with a slight laugh.

"Well gang, I think it's time I got this back into the house. I need to work on it a bit more. The acceleration's good, but it could use a little more work on the handling. The balance is off so it needs more work," Toru informed the crew.

"Don't work too hard now. You'll have to sleep eventually," Tatsuya stated with a laugh.

"Pffft, I know that. Don't you worry about me Tatsuya. We already have enough of a worrier in Nico here," Toru grinned.

Nico blushed profusely and then shook her head laughing.

"Okay guys, I get it. I need to relax. And on that note, West? We need to get home. It's almost dark, and we really shouldn't be out at that time," Nico said worriedly, taking West by the hand and leading him away.

"See you guys tomorrow!" West called out, leaving Toru and Tatsuya to their own devices.

"They're right you know. Right around this time, the Malcom and Ramon Groups will be out and about. We'd best not get caught in the middle of that," Toru warned, getting a nod from Tatsuya.

"I heard that. Let's head back and get some rest." replied.

And with that, the two best friends made tracks back into town as the sun began to set.

* * *

 **Fifth Turn - Turbo Toru!**

 **End Phase!**


	7. Chapter 7

The weeks seemed to fly by since Toru completed his Duel Runner. While it still needed more work, it was improving on every day. Tatsuya was certain it was only a matter of time before Toru decided to go ahead with his plans to move to the city.

 _The week prior..._

Toru continued to tinker with his Duel Runner, tweaking a few nuts and bolts as he looked over his prized machine. Wiping a his brow, he stood up from his work and set his wrench down.

"Whew! That ought to do it for now," Toru breathed, plopping down in the chair he had set up by the vehicle.

A knock came to the door, prompting Toru to answer it. Opening the door, he found Tatsuya standing in the doorway.

"Sup Toru?" Tatsuya greeted, getting a fist bump from his best friend.

"How you doin' Tatsuya?" Toru asked as he walked back to the chair and sat down, leaning back for comfort.

"Not too bad, just been tinkering with my deck to see what other strategies I can put into place," Tatsuya frowned. "So far there's not much I can add to it."

"Have you tried any Synchros? They help a lot you know," Toru inputted, getting a sigh out of Tatsuya.

"I've tried, but none of them appeal much to me. That is, not many of them work with the deck without it being completely changed around. It just messes with the synergy too much," Tatsuya muttered.

"I gotcha. Yeah, your deck relies on discarding a lot. Hmm...there's gotta be a good card for that," Toru mumbled to himself.

"Ah! I've got it!" Toru declared, scampering over to his shelves to pull down a binder full of cards.

"These are cards I've drawn from packs over the years. I know how your deck works and I think I have just the two cards to give you the edge and some more muscle!" Toru declared.

"You don't have to do this Toru. I can find a good card on my—"

"Nuh uh, no sir. You helped me out last month, so I'm helping you in return," Toru decided, flipping through his binder until he came across the cards he wanted.

"Perfect! Here, take a look at these," Toru stated, holding up two cards for Tatsuya to see.

One of the cards was named Fabled Valkyrus, while the other was named Fabled Raven.

"Light aligned?" Tatsuya questioned, getting a nod from Toru.

"They may seem out of sync with your primarily Dark deck, but they're also Fiends. And check out the sweet effects!" Toru beamed.

"Let's see...Fabled Raven. Discard any number of cards and gain 400 attack and one level for each card until the end of the turn? Whoa...that's actually pretty good. And it's a tuner. Okay, Fabled Valkyrus' effect is...also viable for this deck. Why didn't I think of this before? Then again, I never actually had much interest in the Fabled cards, but these two are the exception, thanks Toru," Tatsuya smiled.

"Not a problem! Also, if you discard your Dark World Monsters with high levels, you'll be able to really do some damage," Toru added with a nod.

Tatsuya nodded and took out his deck, shuffling a few of the cards into the side-deck and adding the new cards into it.

"I guess this makes us even huh?" Tatsuya stated, getting a chuckle out of Toru.

"You bet it does! Though I'm still a bit salty that you met Sherry Leblanc before me," Toru grinned. "Buuuut since you helped me out, I can let that go."

Tatsuya rolled his eyes and lightly nudged his friend.

"So, what's the plan after you finish your Duel Runner? Gonna enter the WRGP? You need a team you know," Tatsuya beamed.

Toru grinned and sat back down in his chair.

"I've already got a plan for that. I plan on moving to the city pretty soon. Crash Town's getting a bit rough nowadays and I don't think I can stick around much longer with the Malcom and Ramon Groups running around like they have been," Toru sighed.

"I agree with you there. Their shenanigans are getting way out of hand," Tatsuya muttered.

"You're not kidding. I hear another duelist got dragged off to the mines the other night. Losing comes with a high price with those people. I'd get in there and handle them myself, but I am not about to blow my chance at competing in the WRGP. So I'm staying out of that mess," Toru said firmly.

"It's probably for the best. Even Klaus doesn't get involved. Then again, not many of them want to duel with Klaus because of how tough he is. They mostly leave him alone," Tatsuya said with a shrug.

"It's because the old man kicks ass when he duels. His deck has to be the most annoying one around. I honestly don't know how you managed to beat it," Toru stated, scratching his head in confusion.

"Grapha helped a lot. He's actually what finished that match," Tatsuya laughed.

"That's right! You created that deck the day you beat Klaus didn't you? I remember you sayin' you were collecting cards to create your best deck yet," Toru remembered.

"And so far, it still is..."

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc One - Sixth Turn - Finding Nico**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor**

* * *

Tatsuya looked down at the new Synchro monster in his hand. It was the first time he'd ever added one to his deck. Needless to say, he wanted to test it out at some point. He was certain an opportunity would come along eventually. It was never a matter of if, but when it would come.

"Tatsuya!" Cried West as he ran towards the front porch of Tatsuya's house.

West came to a halt in front of the house and began to pant in exhaustion. He had clearly been running for a while.

"What's up West? You look worried," Tatsuya observed.

"I-I can't find Nico! I've been looking everywhere for her!" West shouted in exasperation.

"Have you checked the hideout?" Tatsuya blinked, getting a nod from West.

"We've gotta go find her right now! C'mon!" West pleaded. "I saw those two gangs roaming the town. Nico could be in trouble!"

"The Malcom and Ramon Group?" Tatsuya breathed, worry coming over him as he thought of Nico in the midst of them.

"Tatsuya!" Klaus' voice rang out, causing both of them to turn towards the old man as he came running. "Something terrible has happened!"

"Does it have anything to do with the Malcom and Ramon Group?" Tatsuya inquired.

Catching his breath, Klaus nodded.

"It looks like things are heating up between the two. They've gotten more wreckless than ever!" Klaus frowned, glancing down at West in confusion.

"West? Where's Nico?" Klaus demanded.

"I don't know! I looked for her this morning, but she wasn't there! She wasn't at the hideout either," West exclaimed.

"Not at the hideout? That can't be good..." Klaus grimaced, palming his face and dragging his hand down. "Tatsuya, you go on ahead and look for Nico. West, you'll be staying here."

"But I wanna help!"

"You'll do nothing of the sort! You may be able to duel but those groups are more experienced and don't play fair! I'll not have you taken in by them!" Klaus growled.

"But I-"

West felt Tatsuya's hand on his shoulder and looked up.

"Sorry West, but I'm gonna need you to sit this one out. I know you want to find your sister, but gramps is right. We can't afford to have you taken away from us. I don't think I could forgive myself if that ever happened," Tatsuya stated, giving West a calm reassuring look.

West hugged Tatsuya tightly and then stepped back.

"Bring Nico back safely you hear?" West said with a determined look.

"Don't you worry. I'm sure she's found her way back to the hideout by now. She's a resourceful girl," Tatsuya smirked, turning to Klaus with a serious expression.

"Keep him safe gramps. Not that I have to tell you that," Tatsuya stated before turning to head north.

"Good luck, Tatsuya," Klaus said silently, watching as his grandson took off to look for Nico.

 _Be careful Tatsuya. Those men are more dangerous than you think. They use unnecessary force and will not hesitate to do so. I can only hope your training was enough. Though you beat me once, I can't be certain that it will mean you will be able to defeat them..._

* * *

Nico pressed herself against the wall of one of the houses in the middle of town. Keeping her breathing shallow, she silently peered around the corner as a few men wearing similar uniforms consisting of cowboy hats, vests and boots, walked by.

 _Why are they out so early? Are they just there to cause trouble?_ Nico thought with a worried look.

Her worry only grew as she spotted a familiar man walking beside them.

 _Dad!?_ Nico mentally gasped, her heart racing faster than it was before.

"So Sergio, tonight's the big duel. Are you ready to show that Ramon group what you're made of?" One of the men inquired with a grin.

"If it means that I'll be able to put more on the table for my family, then yes," Sergio said with a faint smile.

 _What are you thinking father!? Those men are dangerous!_

"If you win tonight's duel, you'll be rewarded with more than enough to feed your kids," Another man chuckled.

"I can only hope so," Sergio replied, following the two men back to the Malcom base.

 _I've got to tell Klaus about this..._

Nico turned to run but quickly withdrew as soon as she saw a member of the Ramon group coming from the side of the building she was hiding behind.

"So that's who they're recruiting to duel against us huh? He doesn't look very strong to me. It should be a breeze to take him down," the young man laughed.

Nico stepped back and slowly worked her way around the other side of the building so she could head toward the hideout. However, as she went to make a break for it, she tripped and fell.

The youth turned around and spotted Nico getting up from the ground and dusting off her dress.

 _Looks like I've found myself a playmate. She's got a Duel Disk too it looks like_ , the young man grinned, taking note of the holster and Gun-style Duel Disk at her hip.

"What do we have here? Aren't you a little young to be running around on your own?" The dirty blonde stated, approaching Nico with a sly grin.

Nico whipped around at the remark and frowned.

"I'm fifteen, I'm not a kid," Nico growled.

The young man shrugged.

"Your face looks young to me, if it weren't for your assets, I'd have mistaken you for a little girl," he teased.

Nico hugged her chest and narrowed her eyes.

"Pervert!" She spat.

The young man rolled his eyes and activated his Duel Disk.

"How about we cut the chit chat and duel? As much as I'd love to continue with our exchange, I'd rather get a warmup match in before tonight," he said with a smirk.

As he stepped forward, he was suddenly nailed hard in the back by a swift palm-heel strike that sent him sliding on his face in the sand. Nico looked up and her face brightened as she saw a familiar set of amethyst eyes.

"Tatsuya!" She exclaimed, rushing to hug her friend.

"You okay Nico?" Tatsuya asked with a stoic gaze, his eyes not leaving the man he'd just struck.

Nico nodded and looked back as the young man caught his breath and slowly stood up, staggering a bit before whirling around to glare at Tatsuya.

"What's the big idea!?" He fumed. "You trying to kill me or something?"

"If you had hurt Nico in any way, sending you to the infirmary wouldn't have been off the table," Tatsuya hissed, fixing the ruffian with a glare.

"You wouldn't dare! And even if you did, the Ramon Group would destroy you," he barked.

"You really think I care about that? You guys are just a bunch of nobody's pretending to play gods," Tatsuya frowned. "It's pathetic..."

"Pathetic!? I'll show you! I, Scotch of the Ramon Group, challenge you to a duel!" He declared holding up his disk with a scowl.

Tatsuya sighed and tapped the mechanism on his Duel Disk and activated it. The dark Deck Zone jutted out from both sides and the Life Point Counter appeared on the glowing violet screen.

"Duel!"

 **\- Duel -**

 **Scotch - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Tatsuya- 4000 LP**

 **\- Duel -**

"Since I made the challenge, I'm callin' the shots! I'll go first!" Scotch declared, drawing his first card.

 **FIRST TURN – SCOTCH**

"To start things off, I'll be setting one card and activating Zombie World!" Scotch declared, shooting his hand into the air as he snatched up the Field Spell and then slid it dramatically into the Field Spell Zone.

The field soon became shrouded in an eerie mist. Rotting trees rose up from the ground and skeletons and corpses were strewn everywhere. Tatsuya narrowed his eyes. This did not bode well.

"As the name implies, this card makes it so that every monster on the field and in the Graveyard become Zombies. You also won't be able to Tribute Summon anything but a Zombie-Type monster! So to start this off, I set one card face down and a monster in defense mode. I'll end it there," Scotch stated with a smirk.

"My turn then. Draw!" Tatsuya said fiercely.

 **SECOND TURN - TATSUYA**

Tatsuya drew his first card and looked at his hand.

 _This card isn't of any use right now, but it might later on, Tatsuya thought, reaching for a card in his hand to play._

"I summon Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World! Rise up!" Tatsuya declared with a powerful shout.

The spear-wielding fiend erupted from the depths of Dark World and brandished his deadly weapon, letting out a low hiss of ferocity.

 _Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) - LV 4 (ATK/1600 DEF/1300)_

"Next I'll activate Dark World Dealings! Now each of us draws and discards one card," Tatsuya explained, drawing his card while discarding another.

"Now that I've discarded a card, I'm allowed to activate the effect of the card I just sent to the Graveyard! Come on out, Goldd, Wu Lord of Dark World!" Tatsuya roared, summoning his fiendish ally to the field.

 _Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) - LV 5 (ATK/2300 DEF/1400)_

The mighty fiend swung his golden axe about before slamming the pole end into the ground with a roar.

"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But I'm activating Bottomless Trap Hole! So say goodbye to your Wu-Lord!" Scotch delcared, raising his hand to activate the trap he'd set.

Goldd was suddenly pulled under the arena by a massive green hand, vanishing without a trace, out of play. Tatsuya grimaced at the turn of events.

"Very well then, I'll just attack with Beiige! Dark Spear Strike!" Tatsuya commanded his fiendish soldier.

Beiige snarled and surged forward, accelerating as he swung his spear with lethal force, slashing through the defensive monster, revealing it to be a turtle with a pyramid-shaped shell on its back.

"Thanks for that! Now that my turtle is out of the way, I'm allowed to special summon a monster from my deck as long as it has 2000 defense or lower!" Scotch informed with a devious grin. "And the one I'm choosing is Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon!"

 _Red-Eyes? That can't be good!_ Tatsuya thought in alarm.

"To the depths of the underworld you were cast. But even in death your power is not suppressed! Rise up and infect all who dare oppose you! I summon Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon!" Scotch called out.

A terrifying roar erupted from the cemetery-like field, causing the ground to tremble from the force that had been awakened. A decrepit claw burst out of the ground, followed by another that gripped the solid foundation before thrashing its way to the surface, fully revealing itself as it spread its wings and roared one more time.

 _Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon - (Dark/Zombie/Effect) -LV 7 (ATK/2400 DEF/2000)_

Tatsuya clenched his fists as he stared down the decaying monstrosity of a legend. The abomination snarled at Beiige, making it very evident that he was to be the first meal it ate after having been revived. Keeping his focus, Tatsuya continued his turn.

"I set two cards face down and end my turn," Tatsuya stated.

"Good! Now I can start spreading the plague," Scotch sneered. "My draw!"

 **THIRD TURN - SCOTCH**

"I'm going to enjoy this part," Scotch snickered. "I summon Spirit Reaper in attack mode!"

 _Spirit Reaper - (Dark/Zombie/Effect) - LV 3 (ATK/300 DEF/200)_

Up from the ground shot monster that resembled the Grim Reaper himself. Wielding a deadly scythe, the skeletal fiend brandished it before Tatsuya and gave him a devilish grin.

"Next I'll start my assault! Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon, attack Beiige now! Inferno Zombie Breath!" Scotch ordered.

Tatsuya watched as Beiige put his spear up in a defensive manner. Try as he might, the spear-wielder couldn't stand up to the overwhelming force of the might before him. The blast consumed him entirely.

 **Scotch - 4000 LP**

 **Tatsuya - 3200 LP**

"That's not all. Using the effect that Red-Eyes carries, I'm allowed to Special Summon the monster I just destroyed during my battle phase!" Scotch proclaimed, pointing towards the ground as it began to rumble and burst open, revealing Beiige to be on his side of the field now.

Tatsuya tensed up at the sight of his own card being used against him.

"Now, Beiige, attack your former master! Dark Spear Strike!" Scotch ordered.

Tatsuya braced himself as his own monster charged him and slashed through his Life Points.

"And now it's Spirit Reaper's turn! Attack now with Soul Rending Slash!" Scotch commanded.

Spirit Reaper flashed forward and sliced across Tatsuya's abdomen, making him take a knee from the force of the blow, forcing a card to the graveyard.

"Tatsuya!" Nico called out, worried for her friend as she saw him slowly getting up.

"I'm fine Nico, don't worry," Tatsuya muttered, standing back up and fixing Scotch with a fierce stare.

 **Scotch - 4000 LP**

 **Tatsuya - 1300 LP**

"That was payback for hitting me in the back," Scotch growled.

"Well enjoy it while it lasts," Tatsuya smirked. "Because by attacking with Spirit Reaper, you've triggered a card that was sent to my Graveyard by his effect!"

At his words, a deafening roar was heard from the depths of the Graveyard. Suddenly, without warning, the ground burst open and a spiraling vortex of violet light shot towards the sky, parting the heavens with its ethereal glow. Rising up from the ground was a fiend that made Beiige tremble in fear and step backward.

"Meet Reign-Beaux, Overlord of Dark World!" Tatsuya called out.

The terrifying ram horned Fiend growled fiercely and brandished his two pronged staff before slamming it into the ground.

 _Reign-Beaux, Overlord of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) - LV 7 (ATK/2500 DEF/1800)_

"What is that thing!?" Scotch demanded, not liking the power it bore.

"Something you're going to regret provoking. Because since he was discarded by Spirit Reapers' effect, his own effect activates, summoning him to the field. But there's one other thing. Since he was sent by your monster and revived, one of two other effects takes place. Now witness his power! Wipe the field clean of his monsters!" Tatsuya bellowed.

In a mighty show of power, Reign-Beaux lifted his staff and channeled dark energies into it, causing lightning to crackle around the staff. Suddenly, a pulse of destructive violet light shot out from the staff and eradicated Scotch's monsters in one fell swoop.

"No! My Red-Eyes!"

"In the grave where it belongs," Tatsuya snapped, getting a fierce stare in return.

"You'll pay for this! I set one card and end my turn!" Scotch snarled.

 **FOURTH TURN - TATSUYA**

"I don't know how to tell you this, but it's over for you..." Tatsuya declared.

"You've got nothing!" Scotch barked.

Tatsuya smirked and reached for a card in his hand.

"Oh I've got something alright. I summon Fabled Raven to the field!" Tatsuya called out.

With a mighty screech, the humanoid with raven red-tipped raven wings soared onto the field, flaring his wings out with a mighty shout as he stared down his foes.

 _Fabled Raven - (Light/Fiend/Tuner/Effect) -LV 2 (ATK/1300 DEF/1000)_

"Ha! What a weakling! He's just a low level weakling!"

"Shut up, wash your neck and wait," Tatsuya glowered, getting a glare in return.

"Fabled Raven isn't like the other creatures in my deck. However, he does offer something that helps them tremendously. The ability to discard any number of cards I want!" Tatsuya declared.

"But first, I'll activate one card I had set from the start. Dark Scheme!" Tatsuya bellowed, raising his hand high to reveal his trap.

"With this card, we each discard two cards in exchange for drawing two. Since I have none, I'll just draw two cards!" Tatsuya declared.

"Next, using Fabled Raven's effect, I'll be discarding one card in my hand to give him 400 Extra attack points and a level!" Tatsuya declared, discarding one of the cards he'd drawn.

"Next, I'll activate the effect of the monster I just sent to the Graveyard! Rise up, Sillva, Warlord of Dark World!" Tatsuya shouted in a commanding tone, beckoning the fiend to his aide.

 _Sillva, Warlord of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) -LV 5 (ATK/2300 DEF/1400)_

"There's one other thing I may have forgotten to mention. Fabled Raven is a tuner monster," Tatsuya revealed, getting a startled reaction from Scotch. "And judging by your face, you know what's about to happen..."

"Y-You wouldn't," Scotch stammered.

"I would and I will! I tune my level three Fabled Raven with my level five Sillva to bring forth, Fabled Valkyrus! Come forth!" Tatsuya commanded.

The skies darkened and lightning split the sky before crashing down onto the cemetery, bringing with it a powerful new foe. Dark, demonic wings unfurled as the newest fiend made his presence known. Clad in an obsidian armor with red and gold plating, the Fabled Valkyrus stepped forth, letting out a gutteral growl as he gazed upon his foe, flexing his arms with a terrifying roar following.

 _Fabled Valkyrus - (Light/Fiend/Synchro/Effect) -LV 8 (ATK/2900 DEF/1700)_

"Now that he's here, I can go ahead and end this duel," Tatsuya declared.

"You're a fool if you think I'm about to let that happen!" Scotch snapped back.

"The only fool here, is you," Tatsuya quipped.

This is perfect! If he attacks me, I'll just spring my trap and destroy Reign-Beaux! He won't know what hit him!

"This is what you get for trying to attack Nico! Reign-Beaux, attack with Dark Reckoning!" Tatsuya commanded.

"If you think I'm about to let that happen, you're crazy! I activate Magical Arm Shield! I'll be taking hold of your Fabled Valkyrus!" Scotch declared.

Tatsuya smirked and shook his head.

"See, I knew you had that face-down for a reason, which was why I prepared this! Dark Bribe!" Tatsuya cried out, springing a trap of his own.

Scotch watched as his trap was negated and destroyed. When he looked up, a spiraling blast of energy rocketed towards him and punched a hole in his Life Points, knocking him over.

 **Scotch - 1500 LP**

 **Tatsuya - 1300 LP**

"You...ingrate! I swear I'll get you for this," Scotch spat bitterly, his eyes widening as he saw Fabled Valkyrus standing in front of him with his hand outstretched.

"Sorry, but that's not happening today. So run along! Fabled Valkyrus, end this with Ray of Destruction!"

Scotch got up and started to run as Valkyrus powered up. With his sights set on Scotch, he roared and launched a devastating beam of distorted light from his hand. The beam locked onto Scotch and trailed him at an accelerated rate before connecting with a deafening explosion.

 **Scotch - 0 LP**

 **Tatsuya - 1300 LP**

 _Incredible..._ Nico thought as she watched Tatsuya retract his Duel Disk and turn towards her. A faint ethereal glow flashed in his eyes for but a moment before fading out.

Tatsuya sighed and shook his head.

"Come on Nico, we need to get going. Gramps and West need to know you're safe," Tatsuya said with a faint smile.

"Uh-huh," Nico replied, following beside Tatsuya as the two made their way towards the beginning of town.

As the two walked back, Nico couldn't help but wonder about what she'd seen in Tatsuya's eyes. It sent chills down her spine when he looked at her. It was as if the same gentle friend she'd come to know had changed for but a moment. Deciding not to dwell on it, she pushed the thought from her mind.

* * *

 **Nico and Tatsuya made it safely back to Klaus' house where her brother greeted her with an unexpected tackle-hug. When asked about what happened, Tatsuya and Nico explained of their encounter with Scotch of the Ramon group and the results of the duel they'd been in.**

* * *

"So you defeated one of the Ramon Group's duelists huh?" Klaus said gruffly, getting a nod from Tatsuya.

"Scotch was said to be one of their better duelists. I've seen his deck at work and it's nothing pretty," Klaus frowned. "Yet you bested him in a duel. Perhaps your victory against me was more than enough to prove that you have learned well. Your parents would be proud. I know I am..."

Tatsuya blinked and canted his head.

"You goin' soft gramps? It's not like you to give me this much praise," Tatsuya smirked.

"Take it as a gift. You've earned it," Klaus remarked, turning at the sound of Nico and West entering the room after preparing for bed.

"You two ready for bed?" Klaus inquired.

"What? Bedtime already!? I wanted to duel!" West whined.

"No fuss! The two of you need to-"

"Come on gramps, let him have a little fun," Tatsuya inputted, getting a raised brow from Klaus.

"Please Klaus? I wanna duel you! I promise I'll go to bed after," West pleaded.

Klaus frowned and then let out an exasperated sigh.

"Alright. One duel and then it's bed time, got it?" Klaus said firmly.

"YES! Get ready old man, you're going down!"

"I may be old, but I can still kick your keister! You're on West!"

And so, the duel began...

* * *

 **Sixth Turn - Finding Nico**

 **End Phase**


	8. Chapter 8

Tatsuya stood outside of his house, reflecting the previous day's events that had taken place. The duelist known as Scotch was no slouch from what Tatsuya could tell. His skill was fairly exceptional by most standards, and the way he dueled made things more than difficult to deal with. With a sigh, the youth turned back towards the house and proceeded to walk inside. Just as he opened the door, he was met with the shock of there being nothing but a massive swirling vortex of light.

"What the hell!?" Tatsuya exclaimed, stumbling and falling back onto his rear as he looked up at the giant vortex that was in the midst of his home.

Fear gripped him as felt an immense amount of power emanating from the vortex. A monstrous roar, unlike anything he'd ever heard, erupted from the center. Tatsuya, as much as he wanted to move, was too afraid to, even though every muscle in his body screamed for him to do so. At last, the source of the terrifying roar began to reveal itself. A pitch black creature immerged from the vortex, appearing to have wings and a tail with a head like that of a dragon. Golden eyes fixed themselves upon Tatsuya in a menacing expression.

Tatsuya could only see the outline of the creature as the rest of the dragon's coloration was veiled from his eyes by the darkness, making the figure appear to be a shadow. Tatsuya slowly got to his feet once he noticed that the creature was simply staring at him, as if waiting for something. Dusting himself off, Tatsuya cautiously approached the figure and...

"Tatsuya?"

"Tatsuya are you still asleep!?"

Tatsuya awoke with a start and fell of the side of the bed. Wincing, he looked up at the clock and sighed. It was two in the afternoon. He'd decided to take a nap around noon and had only planned to nap for an hour. Apparently, he had forgotten to set the alarm, hence why Nico felt the need to holler into his window.

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc One - Seventh Turn - A Vision And A Visit**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor**

* * *

Tatsuya muttered something unintelligible under his breath before rising to a stand and dusting himself off.

"So much for my nap," he sighed, grabbing his duel disk and strapping it to his arm before putting his shoes on the walk out the door.

Outside, Nico and West were on the porch, simply chatting away about card strategy. Tatsuya smiled faintly and leaned against the side of a support beam and watched the two. It was hard to believe how much they had grown since he was a kid. They were still the same as ever with Nico being the worry wart, and West being the free spirited carefree one.

"So maybe if I add this Synchro Monster to my deck, I'll be able to really kick some butt!" West beamed.

"Just remember West. There's more to the game than powerful cards. The deck you have now has a lot of decent strategy with the burn damage it can dish out, but you need some better defenses if you are going to survive very long. But it never hurts to have a good threat out on the field," Nico advised him.

"Yeah! Maybe I can get one like Kalin's Infernity Doom Dragon!" West said with an excited grin.

"You really look up to him don't you?" Tatsuya interjected, prompting both siblings to turn towards him.

"Someone's finally awake," Nico teased.

"Hey, the old man had me workin' hard today, fixing things around the house and running errands," Tatsuya yawned.

"Speaking of Klaus, where is the old fart anyway?" Tatsuya mumbled, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

"Dunno. He said something about going into the city and to tell you that he'd be back within a few hours. Oh, and to make sure you fixed the pipes under the sink," Nico added.

"Is it leaking again?" Tatsuya blinked, sighing before standing up to walk inside the house with Nico and West in pursuit.

"Apparently so," Nico added.

"Hey Tatsuya. Nico told me that you added a few new cards to your deck! Can I see them? Please!?" West begged.

Tatsuya stopped in the kitchen and knelt down to open the doors below the sink to get a look at the piping. Sure enough, it was leaking.

"Son of a," Tatsuya mumbled, turning around to meet the eyes of his friends. "Sure, but after I fix this. I don't know why it keeps doing that," Tatsuya grumbled, making for the tool drawer and grabing a wrench from inside.

Setting to work, Tatsuya made sure to tighten anything that was loose while West prattled on about dueling and cool cards he'd like to have. After a few minutes, Tatsuya placed the tool back and stood up to stretch.

"That should do it," he declared, reaching down to his deck holster to take out his deck.

"Toru gave me a two cards for my deck yesterday. Nico got to see them so it's only fair that you do too," Tatsuya stated, milling around in his deck before finding Fabled Raven and Fabled Valkyrus and pulling them out.

"These cards look cool! I mean, they're not as strong as the cards I talked about but they're still awesome looking!" West exclaimed.

"Actually West, these cards are more for strategic set-ups, rather than for attacking. While Fabled Valkyrus' attack stat is pretty decent, its real strength lies in its effect, making it perfect for my deck. The same can be said for Fabled Raven. He starts out small, but discard about four or five cards and that's a 3300 attack power monster with seven stars. Or, if you don't care for the power, tune him," Tatsuya explained.

"Cool! So he starts off small and then gets more powerful!" West grinned.

"Exactly. You get it," Tatsuya replied.

"The way you used Valkyrus made it seem like you've used Synchro Summoning more times than just that once," Nico laughed.

"True, that was my first Synchro Summon in an actual duel. Mostly because I saw no point in having any in my deck until Toru showed me these cards," Tatsuya shrugged. "It felt cool though, merging monsters like that."

"You mean you've never used Synchro Summon in a duel before? Did you just practice it on your own or what?" West inquired curiously.

"Pretty much. That and I never really got my hands on Synchro cards of my own, so I just used the old man's cards to practice with," Tatsuya shrugged. "He even offered to give me any cards I liked, but none of them ever appealed to me."

"So what made you change your mind?" Nico wondered.

The image of Blackwing Armor Master flashed through Tatsuya's mind, causing a smirk to cross his visage.

"Dueling Crow showed me that I needed to update my strategy a little. So I did," Tatsuya said with a soft laugh.

The sound of a Duel Runner engine caught the attention of the trio, prompting them to look toward the entrance of Crash Town.

"Do you think Toru's back from his ride already?" Nico pondered aloud.

"I don't know. I know the sound of his Duel Runner, and it doesn't sound as smooth as this one," Tatsuya blinked, watching as a rather majestic white Duel Runner that had the semblance of a steed with a fiery mane and tail, rode into Crash Town. The individual riding it slowly came to a stop and shut off the engine.

Tatsuya immediately recognized the individual due to the attire they sported. Sure enough, as the helm came off, luxurious blonde locks showered down to a woman's shoulders, and a familiar set of emerald hues could be seen on the youthful face of the woman. It was indeed, Sherry Leblanc.

West and Nico both exchanged surprised looks. What was the famous Sherry Leblanc doing in a dead-end town like Crash Town? From what Tatsuya could tell, she looked to be on a mission of sorts. Unsure of what was compelling him at that moment, Tatsuya decided to see what he could do to help, if she needed any. Nico and West followed behind.

* * *

"This is such a small town. It shouldn't take me too long to find the card shop...I 'ope," Sherry sighed, placing her helmet on the seat of her Duel Runner before beginning her search.

As she walked, she spotted Tatsuya and his friends walking in her direction. Having recognised Tatsuya, she paused as they approached, her eyes locking with Tatsuya's for a brief moment.

"It would seem that we meet again," Sherry said with a slight smile.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" Tatsuya added.

"Oui, a month," Sherry stated, glancing down at West whose eyes were shimmering with excitement.

"Who are these two?" Sherry inquired, glancing down at Nico and West who seemed unable to speak.

"Nico and West. They're usually not this shy. West will talk your ears off if you let him, and Nico here-"

"I think she gets it Tatsuya," Nico interrupted him before he could call her any of the absurd nicknames she'd been given.

Tatsuya rolled his eyes.

"Talk my...ears off?" Sherry blinked, canting her head in a confused manner.

"It's basically saying he talks a lot," Nico clarified.

Sherry giggled and placed her hands over her ears.

"That is better than what it sounded like," Sherry replied, shaking her head at her own thoughts.

"So what brings you here?" Tatsuya inquired curiously.

"See, that is what I am 'ere to find out. I 'eard that there was a great card shop in this town, so I decided I would journey 'ere to 'ave a look," Sherry finished.

"We can show ya where it is! We know this town forwards and backwards! We could navigate it with our eyes closed!" West declared.

"That would be impressive to see, West," Sherry laughed. "Lead the way," Sherry stated.

* * *

 **The four made the short trek to the card shop, all the while listening to West blabbing about Team Satisfaction and how much of a fan Toru was of Sherry. Once inside the shop, Sherry proceeded to look inside the glass cases for any cards that the shop had to offer her in terms of cards that would work with her deck.**

* * *

"Hmmm...the Divine Sword - Phoenix Blade seems like the perfect card to add to my deck. Then again, the Magnum Shield seems to be the better of the two," Sherry stated, reaching for her pocket to take out her card to make the purchase.

After finishing up her business in the card shop, Sherry glanced over the new cards she had recently added and slipped them into her deck box so she could work with them later.

"Thank you for your 'elp. Excusez-moi, but I don't believe I ever got your name back there," Sherry said, remembering when she'd met Tatsuya in the city.

"It's Tatsuya. And it's nice to meet you Sherry," Tatsuya said with a half smile.

"I see my reputation precedes me," Sherry replied in her thick French accent.

"Yep, even all the way out here," Tatsuya laughed.

"That is good to know, I think," Sherry replied, moving over towards her Duel Runner and getting on, picking up her helmet to put it on.

"Well, it 'as been fun. But I am afraid I must bid you adieu. It was nice to see you again...Tat...suya?" She replied, hoping she'd pronounced his name correctly.

"Same to you, Sherry," Tatsuya replied with a thumbs up, indicating that she'd pronounced his name correctly.

With a smile, Sherry placed her helmet on and fired up her Duel Runner before speeding out of town. As she did so, another Duel Runner rocketed into town, stopping at the entrance just as Sherry sped on by. Getting off the Duel Runner was Toru, who had just gotten done with his afternoon ride. Spotting his friends, Toru rushed to meet them.

"Hey guys, what's shakin'!?" Toru called out as he caught up to Tatsuya, Nico and West.

"Not much, just chillin'" Tatsuya replied with a shrug.

"I gotcha. Hey, did you guys see that? We actually had a visitor here. That's a first," Toru laughed. "Though that Duel Runner kinda looked familiar. They had the same type of model as Sherry Leblanc..."

"Probably because it was Sherry Leblanc," Nico inputted.

Toru's jaw dropped, and then he yelled in frustration before comically falling backwards.

"WHAAAAAAAT!?"

* * *

 **Seventh Turn - A Vision And A Visit**

 **End Phase**


	9. Chapter 9

West and Tatsuya stood across from each other, facing off in yet another duel. West had a little time to work on his deck with the help of Tatsuya. After giving West some of his old cards from his binder, West was more than pumped for their duel. It was an even match and it was now Tatsuya's turn.

 **Tatsuya - 1800 LP**

 **West - 1800 LP**

"So, how do you like your new deck?" Tatsuya called out to West as he drew his next card.

"Are you kidding!? I wish I could make a deck this good. These machines are incredible!" West exclaimed excitedly.

"I'm glad you like it. Genex monsters are pretty useful for Machine decks. And with your new deck, it's more than enough power to make a good impact," Tatsuya smirked, staring down the Genex Ally Triforce that West had on his field.

"I love it! It's really helped me out! And I have a feeling that this deck is going to help me take you down!" West beamed.

"We'll see about that West. It is my turn after all," Tatsuya grinned.

West gave Tatsuya a determined look as he watched his friend draw his next card. Meanwhile, Klaus and Nico stood on the side, simply observing.

"You know, it's hard to believe how quickly West learns. He's like Tatsuya in that regard," Nico observed.

"Hmph!" Klaus said gruffly. "Tatsuya may be good, but he has the potential to be even better. The strategies that he prefected took his parents years to hone. Yet he's done it in a much shorter time frame. His only problem is, he's a bit lazy. For instance, in this duel, he had a few plays he could have made. His reasons for not doing them don't make any sense," Klaus replied.

"I can think of a few," Nico said as she took a look at Tatsuya's field.

Fabled Raven was out and Tatsuya had three cards in his hand. Then again, he always had a small hand. A cost of his Dark World deck no less.

"Okay West, it's time to get down to business! I activate Fabled Raven's special ability, allowing me to discard a card from my hand to have him gain a level and 400 attack points!" Tatsuya declared.

"Bring it on Tatsuya!" West exclaimed, dawning a serious expression.

"With pleasure," Tatsuya smirked. "I discard a card to activate its effect. Come on out, Sillva, Warlord of Dark World!" Tatsuya cried out.

The powerful dark lord rose from the ground with a hiss and a snarl, brandishing his lethal blades before the mechanized menace before him.

 _Sillva, Warlord of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) - LV 5 (ATK/2300 DEF/1400)_

"Uh-oh!" West recoiled, knowing what one of these types of summons meant.

"Uh-oh is right. But I'm not done there. I activate Dark Scheme! Forcing us to discard two cards after we draw two," Tatsuya declared.

"Not so fast! I discard a card to negate the effect of that card!" West declared, getting a grin out of Tatsuya.

"I see you caught on to what I was trying to do. You've gotten better West, but I'm afraid you're going to have to do better than that to stop me. Because of that, you've discarded the only card left in your hand. Which means I can activate this!" Tatsuya roared, raising his hand over his second trap card which was revealed to be a second Dark Scheme.

"Another one!?" West exclaimed.

"It's a precaution in case my opponent decides it doesn't like the first one," Tatsuya smirked. "And now, I'll be discarding two cards, and the cards I'm choosing, are Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World and Dark World Dealings!" Tatsuya stated, discarding the cards to add two more to his hand.

"And since Kahkki was discarded, well...you already know his effect don't you?" Tatsuya replied with a smirk.

"It...destroys a monster on the field! Oh no!" West shouted, backing up as his monster suddenly exploded in a burst of violet light.

The smoke cleared to reveal that West had an empty field and was wide open.

"You wanted to see my new Synchro in action right West? Well, here's your chance! I tune Fabled Raven with Sillva to form Fabled Valkyrus!" Tatsuya bellowed.

Surging onto the field in a burst of light was none other than Valkyrus himself. With a powerful battle cry, he expelled a shockwave from his body in a display of raw power. He looked hungrily at West, ready to tear his Life Points apart.

 _Fabled Valkyrus - (Light/Fiend/Synchro/Effect) - LV 8 (ATK/2900 DEF/1700)_

"Whoa! So cool!" West beamed as the armored fiend burst out of the light.

"If you like that, wait until you see his attack," Tatsuya declared, pointing imperiously at West. "Finish this now Fabled Valkyrus! Ray of Destruction!" Tatsuya ordered.

Valkyrus stretched out his hand and gathered distorted light into the center of his palm. Cocking his hand back he thrust it forward and released a blast that shattered West's Life Points, reducing them to nothing. West looked up with a humongous grin and laughed.

"That was awesome! Fabled Valkyrus is so cool!" West exclaimed again.

Tatsuya lowered his Duel Disk and breathed a sigh of relief, looking down as West ran up to him.

"Thanks. You've definitely improved since the last time we dueled. Then again, I helped you make that deck," Tatsuya laughed.

"Yeah, but I tinkered with it a few nights ago," West explained, getting a nod from Tatsuya.

"And it paid off. You backed me into a pretty tight corner with your strategy. Lucky for me, I had a way around it," Tatsuya chuckled.

"Yeah, with that Kahkki card," West grumbled. "I hate that thing!" West growled.

"Oh West, don't be so sore about it. We all hate that card," Nico laughed.

Tatsuya shook his head and ruffled West's hair.

"No worries West. You did well," Tatsuya reassured his friend.

Tatsuya looked up to see Klaus with a smile on his face. It wasn't something he saw too often, but he could tell that Klaus was just as pleased with West's progress as he was. Klaus gave Tatsuya a thumbs up before turning and walking back into the house. Although his expression had slightly changed, Tatsuya knew when the old man had a lot on his mind. They all did. And ever since his parent's died, things weren't exactly the same. West and Nico still had their parents, which was a fortunate thing.

"You okay Tatsuya?" Nico asked, prompting Tatsuya to snap out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Yeah. Just thinkin' that's all," Tatsuya stated, placing a hand on her shoulder, a simple gesture that usually dissolved Nico's worries.

"That's good," Nico smiled.

"Hey Nico! Wanna duel!?" West shouted from a distance.

Nico sighed and turned to face West.

"Is that all you ever think about?" Nico blinked, getting a cheesy grin out of West.

"It's not the ONLY thing, Nico! It's just what I think about most!" West laughed.

Nico sighed and reached to her Duel Gun and activated it, formulating her Duel Disk.

"Ready when you are, West!" Nico declared.

"Duel!"

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc One - Eighth Turn - The Voice Of Horakhty**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor**

* * *

The Card Shop, a place where Tatsuya hung out whenever he needed to take his mind off anything. There, he could escape the troubles of the outside world, even if it was only for a little while. Tatsuya walked through the doors, sounding the bell above the door to alert the shopkeepers of a customer walking in.

The Dark Magician Girl cosplayers both looked in his direction, a smile forming on their faces as one of their favorite customers entered their shop. Tatsuya had been their first customer since they opened. This took place not long after Tatsuya's encounter with Team Satisfaction.

"Welcome back Tatsuya! What can we do for you today?" Iranami inquired, setting down the box she'd been carrying, onto the counter to open.

"New cards perhaps? Tips maybe?" Narumi asked in a persistent manner.

"Just coming to browse around. Got anything new?" Tatsuya wondered.

"Hmmm...well, since you asked," Iranami began, opening the box that was on the countertop. "There are is one new pack, Strike of Neos."

"Neos huh? If I wanted a Hero deck, it wouldn't be so bad. Thanks for the heads up though," Tatsuya stated, getting a nod from Iranami.

"No problem!" Narumi added cheerfully. "So what's on the agenda today?"

Tatsuya shrugged and took a seat at one of the tables inside the shop.

"Dunno. I'm off today, so I have the rest of the day to myself. Toru's watching West and Nico so I get to take a break," Tatsuya explained leaning back in his chair.

"That's new. I never figured your grandpa to be one for giving any time off," Narumi replied.

"He does it every once in a while. Today was just one of those days where he was feeling generous," Tatsuya stated, crossing his arms with a sigh.

"Something on your mind?" Iranami queried, taking note of how exasperated Tatsuya looked.

Tatsuya remembered the dream he had the previous week. The image of the dragon flashed through his thoughts, the roar still echoing in his mind. It was as if it were calling out to him somehow.

"Tatsuya? Helloooo!" Narumi said in a loud tone, waving a hand in front of his face to try and get his attention.

Snapping back to reality, Tatsuya looked up with a confused expression. He was so caught up in the thought that he hadn't realized that Narumi had gotten that close.

"Sorry. I zoned out there for a second didn't I?" Tatsuya said with a nervous laugh.

"You do that an awful lot. Makes me wonder if you ever sleep," Iranami stated with a concerned look, approaching Tatsuya and placing a hand on his forehead.

Tatsuya grimaced at the gesture.

"I'm not sick Iranami," Tatsuya muttered.

"So I see. Still, you can never be too sure," Iranami offered, getting a sigh out of Tatsuya.

"Thank you...for the concern. Anyway, how have you guys been doing? The two groups haven't been troubling you have they?" Tatsuya questioned them.

"They're annoying, if that's what you're asking. But when you have a superiority complex and think you're king of the world," Narumi trailed off.

"So that's a yes then," Tatsuya muttered.

"Pretty much. But we've been able to handle ourselves pretty well. They always come around and purchase as many packs as possible, so there's no complaints in that department. Because of that, our shop has more than enough money to support itself," Iranami added.

"The only thing we have a qualm with, is the flirting a lot of them do," Narumi frowned.

"Well...from their perspective, you're dressed as a very iconic Duel Monster that a lot of single (no life) men, dream about. But, that's still no excuse to act lecherous," Tatsuya stated in a tone of disapproval.

"Aren't you single with no life?" Narumi teased, getting a giggle out of Iranami.

"That's my business. I'm not like Toru who has magazines of every female duel icon," Tatsuya murmured.

"He's a rather funny guy, that Toru," Narumi snickered.

"I guess so," Tatsuya shrugged. "He's also almost done with his Duel Runner. He says he's still fixing a few things before he can be fully satisfied with it."

"Does he still plan on getting into the WRGP?" Iranami wondered.

Tatsuya rolled his eyes.

"Are you kidding? It's all he ever talks about," Tatsuya grinned. "He's been going on about it ever since we were kids. And now that he has his own working Duel Runner, he's just about ready for it," Tatsuya said with a faint smile.

"What about you? Aren't you dreaming about it too?" Narumi questioned him, getting an affirmative nod from Tatsuya.

"I'm still keeping that dream alive. I don't plan on giving it up anytime soon," Tatsuya stated firmly. "Regardless of what the old man says, I will become a Turbo Duelist."

Iranami and Narumi exchanged glances and smiled.

"And we'll be cheering for you all the way," Iranami beamed happily.

"Thanks you two," Tatsuya responded, standing up to head toward the door. "See you two later. I'm gonna go for a walk."

"Be safe out there!" Narumi called out as he exited the shop.

The day soon came to a close, and Tatsuya was now sitting outside watching the sunset, sipping on a can of Dr. Pegasus. It wasn't often that he drank soda. But since he was too lazy to make a smoothie, he grabbed a can out of the fridge instead. As he watched the sun descend, he knew it was only a matter of time before the duels between the Malcom Group and Ramon Group were to be waged. Until then, he'd enjoy the setting sun.

 _ **"How strange..."**_ A feminine voice said suddenly, prompting Tatsuya to look around frantically.

"Who's there!?" Tatsuya demanded, searching the immediate area for any clues as to the whereabouts of the source of the voice.

 _ **"One such as you, who possesses such a dark soul, has a completely contradictory nature. How interesting..."**_ The mysterious feminine voice responded, her tones smooth as silk, sending a shivers down Tatsuya's spine.

"Where are you!? Show yourself!" Tatsuya exclaimed, growing frustrated and afraid at the same time.

 _ **"I am afraid I cannot do that. My presence is quite dangerous for mortals such as yourself. But there will come a time when you will be able to see me face to face dear child of the dark,"**_ The voice echoed, causing Tatsuya to raise a brow.

"Child of the dark? Like my Dark World deck?" Tatsuya inquired aloud, his body still trembling slightly at the feeling he was getting just from hearing the apparent woman's voice.

 **"** _ **Indeed. You wield the powers of the Dark World, yet are not affected by their influences. And it seems that yet another creature is calling out to you as well,"**_ She added, getting a surprised expression out of Tatsuya.

"Wait, you know about my—"

 _ **"I know a lot about you Tatsuya. The death of your parents, your ambitions, your friends and family. I know more than you know about yourself. You might even go so far as to say that I know what it is you desire most..."**_

Tatsuya's eyes went wide. Was he hearing this right. How did this mysterious voice know who he was? And why was it speaking to him? Furthermore, how did it know so much about him? That's when it hit him.

"Y-you're..." Tatsuya stammered, nervousness overtaking him quickly as he fumbled with his words.

 _ **"Yes, Tatsuya. I...am Horakhty..."**_

* * *

 **Turn Eight - The Voice Of Horakhty**

 **End Phase**


	10. Chapter 10

Having not gotten much sleep the previous night, Tatsuya was more tired than ever the next day. He wasn't exactly sure how he was going to explain the reasons for how sluggish he was being. Even Klaus couldn't figure out why he was acting strangely. The conversation he had with Horakhty ran through his mind in an endless loop. It was as if he couldn't think of anything else at the time.

"Just what exactly was that all about anyway?" Tatsuya mumbled to himself, pulling his knees to his chest, breathing a heavy sigh as he looked out towards the entrance of Crash Town.

 _What did she mean when she said all that?_

 _The previous day..._

"So what does a god like you want with me?" Tatsuya asked aloud, getting a slight chuckle in return.

 _ **"You're full of questions aren't you?"**_ Horakhty mused. _ **"But since you asked, I shall indulge you, Tatsuya. But first, I'll need you in a place more...away from prying eyes and listening ears..."**_

At the words of the goddess, Tatsuya became surrounded in a blinding white light that engulfed his body in a flash. Almost instantaneously, he was transported far out of Crash Town, at least ten miles into the middle of the desert. Tatsuya landed on his rear and rubbed his backside. His heart raced frantically.

"Sheesh, couldn't you have given me a softer landing?" Tatsuya mumbled, fully aware that he was speaking to a god, and not just any but the Egyptian god, the one who resides over Slifer, Obelisk and Ra. On his part, it probably wasn't the smartest thing to be doing. Still, she could have been more gentle!

 _ **"My apologies. I was being hasty bringing you out here. What I have to say shouldn't be heard by anyone else at the moment. Also, it would have looked strange for you to be talking to 'no one' as it were..."**_

"I guess that makes sense," Tatsuya sighed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "So, I'll ask again, what do you want with me?"

 _ **"Straight to the point huh? Very well then Tatsuya, this is my reason for reaching out to you. Look towards the east and you will see what I have to show you..."**_

Tatsuya did as he was instructed, turning toward the east, only to see a portal begining to open. His eyes went wide as he saw a vision within the portal. Inside, he saw a sinister looking structure floating in the sky right above what he recognized as New Domino City. His eyes widened at the sight as it began to plummet towards the city at an accelerated rate. He saw people fleeing the city in attempts to escape the inevitable.

"Wh-What is that!?" Tatsuya demanded.

 _ **"The Ark Cradle. A divine temple being used for one purpose and one purpose only. To destroy the very source of Ener-D. New Domino City. You see, many years ago, as you already know, the Zero Reverse wiped out many lives and caused the split between the city and Satellite. What you see here, will be an attempt to rectify that mistake. However, this was not something that I had planned..."**_

"Not something you planned? Then what is it? Because things like that don't just fall out of thin air! And what do you mean 'will be'? Because last I checked, we humans can't make temples fall out of the sky," Tatsuya snapped.

 _ **"You are indeed correct. No mere mortal can, but as you'll soon see, that's exactly what you will see."**_

Tatsuya observed as he saw three figures standing on the Ark Cradle. Their figures were difficult to make out, but he could feel a sinister aura coming from the trio.

"Okay...I have so many questions," Tatsuya blinked, shaking his head as he remembered the details of the vision he was just shown. "First, who the hell were they?"

 _ **"They are the servants of Iliaster. Mortals who claim to be doing the will of the gods, but are actually following their own ambitions..."**_

"So why don't you stop them? What do you need me for?" Tatsuya inquired.

 _ **"Because I have chosen you for the task. Their treacherous behavior must be stopped, and the way I have chosen is the way it shall be carried out. In the near future, you will stop the three servants of Iliaster and stop the Ark Cradle from destroying the city. But as you are now, you are not strong enough..."**_

"And just how exactly am I to face a threat like that? And what did you mean when you called me 'child of the dark,' back there?" Tatsuya demanded.

 _ **"All in due time dear Tatsuya. All in due time..."**_

"Wait! What do you mean by that!?" Tatsuya shouted.

As much as he wanted answers, it seemed as though he wasn't going to get them any time soon. A bright light shrouded his body, completely swallowing him up and warping him back into town.

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc One - Ninth Turn - Farewell Toru**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor**

* * *

Several hours had passed since Tatsuya's conversation with Horakthy earlier that morning. All he could think about was what he'd seen in that portal. Was that really what was to come? Or did he make it all up in his mind due to how genuinely terrified he'd been due to the events that transpired.

 _The servants of Iliaster...just who are they? What do they want?_ Tatsuya thought as he sat in the card shop with Nico and West.

"You doing alright Tatsuya? You look like something's troubling you," Nico stated.

"Huh?" Tatsuya blinked, looking up from his hand at Nico who was waiting for him to make a move.

The trio had been sitting in the card shop for three hours, opening card packs and well...dueling. It was Tatsuya's turn and he had yet to do anything.

 **Tatsuya - 2900 LP**

 **Nico - 1600 LP**

"Sorry Nico, I just...have a lot on my mind," he sighed, looking down at the field with a sigh. "I activate the effect of Dark World Lightning, destroying your face down card," Tatsuya stated firmly.

"And since I have to discard a card, I'm discarding Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World," Tatsuya continued, discarding the card to the Graveyard before reaching for it again. "And due to his effect, he gets summoned to the field," Tatsuya added.

 _Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World - (Dark/Fiend/Effect) -LV 4 (ATK/1600 DEF/1300)_

"Now, since your field is wide open, I'll attack you directly for the win," Tatsuya stated, sliding the card forward to show he was attacking.

 **Tatsuya - 2900 LP**

 **Nico - 0 LP**

"My turn!" West exclaimed quickly, racing to the table with haste, eager to face Tatsuya in another duel.

"Give him a second to relax West. He seems tired," Nico said as she saw how tired Tatsuya looked.

"Yeah...I guess you're right. Maybe I'll wait a bit longer," West said reluctantly.

As Tatsuya was about to speak, the trio heard the sound of a Duel Runner outside, prompting them to head to the door.

 _Shoot, is he leaving already?_ Tatsuya thought as he and the trio opened the door to the shop and stepped outside.

There, on his bike, in front of the shop, was Toru dressed completely in the protective riding suit he'd bought. Removing his helmet, Toru got shut the Runner off and got off to meet his friends.

"Hey you three, how's it goin'?" Toru asked with a wide grin.

"Alright for the most part. I see you've fixed it up a little. New paint job too?" Tatsuya asked, observing the black and white coloration.

"Oh yeah! It took a while though, but I finally got it how I wanted it. She's up and running and ready to take on the WRGP!" Toru said proudly.

"There's just one problem with that genius. You need a team to enter," Tatsuya smirked.

"I'll take care of that, no problem. I was kinda hopin' you'd be part of the team, but since you don't have a Duel Runner..."

"I know. It's okay Toru, as long as one of us achieves his dream I'm fine with it," Tatsuya said with a heavy sigh.

"You always were supportive of me weren't you? It's a good thing we won't be too far away right? Come and visit me anytime. You've got my cell, so don't be a stranger," Toru beamed.

"Are you really leaving, Toru?" West inquired, looking up at Toru with a quizzical expression.

"Yep! Gonna go take on the WRGP and win the championship!" Toru grinned.

"That's assuming you make it there. Without a team, it's a bit too soon to be calling yourself a champion," Nico inputted.

"And you still do that," Toru face-palmed.

"Not trying to ruin the mood. Sorry Toru," Nico said sheepishly. "Anyway, good luck okay? I know you can do it."

"Thanks Nico, I'll be sure to win some duels for you guys," Toru beamed. "And as for you," Toru continued, looking pointedly at Tatsuya. "Hold down the fort will ya? With me gone, the town has one less duelist to stand up to those Malcom and Ramon thugs..."

Tatsuya smirked and reached out for Toru's hand who grabbed it firmly, giving it a shake before releasing and bumping fists with Tatsuya.

"Don't worry, I'm sure I can handle whatever they send my way. Just do me a favor and don't crash due to your sloppy handling," Tatsuya teased.

"Hey! I've gotten better. And just because you had one smooth ride, doesn't make you an expert," Toru shot back, getting a laugh out of Tatsuya.

"Relax Toru, I'm only messing with you. Good luck out there man," Tatsuya said finally, getting a nod from Toru who put his helmet back on.

"Thanks you guys. I'll; see you all around! If not soon, then in the WRGP!" Toru shouted before revving the engine and rocketing off into the distance.

Tatsuya, West and Nico all watched until Toru was nothing but a small dot in the distance.

* * *

 **Ninth Turn - Farewell Toru**

 **End Phase**


	11. Chapter 11

The week Toru left Crash Town, things picked up between the Malcom and Ramon Group. It got to the point where it was even too dangerous to be wandering around on one's own. This explained why Klaus was packing up the car with belongings. Tatsuya was in the middle of finishing up his packing when a knock came to his bedroom door. Tatsuya answered and let Klaus inside.

"Have you got everything ready?" Klaus inquired.

"Yeah. I just need to...load it into the car," Tatsuya stated, taking note of the serious expression on Klaus' face.

"Good. Get it to the car, I've got something I want to show you," Klaus said firmly.

It took Tatsuya only a few minutes for him to load everything he had into the car before coming back to Klaus to find out what he wanted. As he entered the room, Klaus was standing beside Tatsuya's bed next to the far wall. With a sigh, he moved the picture of Tatsuya's parents to the side to reveal a secret compartment, which he opened up to reveal a red button.

"I should have showed this to you after Toru left last week. I had to fight myself to do this, and though I don't like it...I think it's time you knew about this," Klaus grunted, pressing the button and waiting.

"Knew about what?" Tatsuya blinked, his eyes going wide as the bed began to move onto its side, revealing a trap door that slid open slowly to unveil a staircase leading down.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Follow me," Klaus said gruffly, marching down the stairs, Tatsuya following behind.

As the two walked down the dark staircase, their feet hit the floor below and Klaus flipped the switch for the light to come on. Tatsuya spotted something covered in a black tarp. His pulse quickened. He could tell by the shape of the figure that it was exactly what he thought it was.

"Go ahead," Klaus nodded, a somber expression on his face as he watched Tatsuya walk over to the tarp and slowly pull it back.

What he saw made him drop to his knees as he pulled the tarp completely back. It was a black, Lambda Frame Duel Runner with violet flames streaking across the sides of the vehicle. Two balancer wings jutted out from the side. A booster was installed on the back of the runner for extra speed. Tears welled up as he saw the initials on the side of the Runner. ST (Sydney Tokunaga) were the intials etched into the side.

Tatsuya placed a ran a hand over the initials and did his best not to break down and cry. It was his mother's Duel Runner. Memories of the times he'd spent riding in the side car as a child played through his mind. It was during those times, aside from watching them duel, that he knew he wanted to be a Turbo Duelist when he got older.

"Mom..." Tatsuya breathed, choking back tears as her face flashed into his mind.

"She would have wanted you to have it you know," Klaus said as he walked over and knelt down to comfort his grandson. "It was the only one that was salvaged from the wreckage. Your father's was totaled and so were Toru's parents. Sydney's was the least damaged and could be repaired."

Tatsuya couldn't bring himself to speak. All he could do was stare at the Duel Runner before him. Fight as he might, he couldn't hold back the tears that soon slid down his face.

"I should have just shown this to you when you defeated me the first time. But I was so caught up in keeping you safe, I didn't think of how selfish I was being by not letting you chase your dreams. I thought it would give me peace knowing you would be spared the fate of your parents, but what I was actually doing was causing you misery," Klaus sighed. "It's alright if you don't want to forgive an old man for his ignorance..."

"Don't be so hard on yourself old man," Tatsuya sniffed, wiping the tears from his face and standing up, turing to give him a determined look. "You only did what you thought was right. And that's what you're doing now, isn't it?' Tatsuya said with a faint smile.

It was Klaus' turn to nearly cry this time. As he looked at Tatsuya, all he could see was his daughter reflecting back at him. The same smile, eyes and even hair color were all there. He realized that by trying to keep Tatsuya from danger, he was only holding him back from the happiness he desired. Wiping his eyes, Klaus straightened out and breathed a heavy, deep sigh.

"Exactly right, Tatsuya. And now that you've got a set of wheels, you can chase your dreams and catch them a lot faster now!" Klaus grinned, giving Tatsuya a thumbs up, receiving one in return.

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc One - Tenth Turn - Rev It Up!**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor**

* * *

West and Nico sat inside their hideout dueling each other when they heard the sound of a Duel Runner approaching the hideout at a rapid pace.

"Huh? Did Toru come back to visit?" West wondered aloud as he looked at his hand, contemplating what he ought to play next.

"I don't think so. To be honest, that sounds like a different engine to me. Toru's didn't sound this smooth," Nico observed, standing up to go out and see what all the noise was about.

When she opened the door to the hideout, she was stunned by what she saw. A jet black Duel Runner with a sleek, Lambda Frame was now parked outside the hideout. But that wasn't what surprised her the most. It was who was riding the Duel Runner that shocked her. The invididual removed a black helmet to reveal themselves to be none other than their friend...

"Tatsuya!" Nico exclaimed excitedly. "West! You've gotta come see this! Tatsuya has a Duel Runner!"

"What!? No way!" West shouted, scrambling to his feet to race out the door, only for his jaw to drop as he saw Tatsuya standing beside the Duel Runner.

"Tatsuya!? Where did you get that!?" West demanded, pointing at the Duel Runner he was standing beside.

Tatsuya smiled as the two rushed up to him. West knelt down to look at the designs on the side.

"Klaus had it stored in the basement. I didn't even know we had one," Tatsuya muttered. "To think this had been right below me this entire time," Tatsuya sighed.

"So wait...Klaus, the very man who didn't want you Turbo Dueling in the first place, just...let you have this?" Nico asked, clearly confused as to what was going on.

"Pretty much. I know, I couldn't believe it either. He told me he didn't want to hold me back anymore. And with things getting worse around here with the Malcom and Ramon Groups," Tatsuya paused, "well, we can't afford to stay here much longer."

"Does this mean you're heading out today? I thought you weren't leaving for another week," Nico blinked.

"Change of plans I guess. He's already informed your parents about it, so your mom's going to hire someone else to look after you two," Tatsuya said with a sigh.

"Awww! Does that mean we won't get to duel again?" West whined.

"Don't be ridiculous West," Tatsuya laughed. "We'll be able to duel again. I can come back and duel you anytime. Just call me up. Nico has my number," Tatsuya laughed.

"Right, I almost forgot about that," West laughed nervously.

Tatsuya smiled faintly and looked back towards the edge of town.

"I'd better get going then. Gramps is waiting for me. Thankfully the city isn't too far from here. I found a few issues with mom's Duel Runner. I'll have to get it checked out before I do anything else on it. The Dueling system is a bit glitchy so it doesn't work too well, even with my Duel Disk. Also, the engine, though it sounds good, sputters a bit every so often. I'm still gonna ride it into the city, but after that, I'm taking it to a mechanic," Tatsuya sighed.

"Just be careful while doing that okay?" Nico said in her usual worried tone, giving Tatsuya a tight hug.

Tatsuya placed a hand on her head and wrapped his other arm around her back. Ruffling her hair, he chuckled, watching as she frowned up at him.

"You know how long it takes to do my hair Tatsuya. Why do you do that?" She pouted.

"Oh relax, your hair is fine. And don't worry so much. I'll be fine," Tatsuya smirked.

"Never tell a lady not to worry, it'll only make her worry more," Nico smiled.

"Hey West, do me a favor. Look after your big sister okay? And listen to your parents. I know you guys like dueling late at night, but you really should try to go to bed at a reasonable hour," Tatsuya lectured.

"Tatsuya, we love you and all, but you're not our dad," Nico said firmly.

"I'm just messin' with ya Nico. Lighten up," Tatsuya chuckled. "I know they don't care too much about that sort of thing, as long as you're in your rooms and not out at sunset."

Nico and West nodded, giving Tatsuya one last hug before he got onto his Duel Runner and put his helmet on.

"I'll see you guys later. Be sure to keep in touch. I'll do the same," Tatsuya stated, Revving up the engine to start the Duel Runner. Holding tightly to the grips, he gave them a wave before blasting off towards the edge of town.

"See ya later Tatsuya!" West shouted loudly, waving as his friend sped away.

"Be careful! And good luck!" Nico shouted after him, waving as well.

 _Don't worry you guys. I will be. And the next time you see me, will be in the WRGP! Get ready Toru, because here I come!_

* * *

 **Tenth Turn - Rev It Up!**

 **End Phase**


	12. Chapter 12

The Dark Oppressor - Arc Two - Turn One - Watt's Going On?

Tatsuya grumbled in an irritated manner as his Duel Runner engine sputtered to life and then turned off. Taking a deep breath, the Dark Duelist sighed and shook his head. Of course it wouldn't start when he wanted to go riding around. It had only been a day since they'd gotten to the city. Klaus had his own apartment while Tatsuya got a more private one on the top floor. It wasn't too bad of a setup. There was an old, but comfortable couch, a bed and a standard kitchen to cook meals in as well as a private bathroom. It was nothing fancy, as it was a studio, but it would do.

"Looks like we can't go riding today huh?" Tatsuya sighed, getting off his Duel Runner and heading into the city.

"Maybe I can relieve some stress at the Card Shop?" Tatsuya wondered aloud, trekking along the street at a leisurely pace, observing the structures that he passed along the way.

"It's strange. It seems like forever since I was last here. I wonder how Toru's doing," Tatsuya mumbled to himself.

After a short stroll through the streets of the Daimon district, Tatsuya finally approached the Card Shop. As he made his way towards it, he stopped. Hearing footsteps behind him, he clenched his fists and tightened his focus.

"That won't be necessary," came a soft female voice from behind him, prompting Tatsuya to turn his head to meet the eyes of the individual that was approaching him.

Crimson clashed with amethyst as the two made eye-contact. Whoever this was, Tatsuya could tell that they weren't someone to be trifled with. She had a confident air about her, showing that she was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

"Are you Tatsuya?" She asked, prompting a surprised reaction from the Crash Town boy.

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc Two - Turn One - Watt's Going On?**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor**

* * *

The woman fished around in her pockets and pulled out a photograph of a young man with violet hair that was spiked up partially and had white spikes jutting out on one side. With a neutral expression, she showed Tatsuya the photo.

"Toru said you would be arriving in a few weeks. You're early..." She said flatly.

Tatsuya blinked.

"I guess I forgot to tell him didn't I?" Tatsuya mused. "Can't be helped I guess. So, I assume you know where he is then..."

The woman simply nodded and turned around, giving a simple motion of her hand for him to follow.

"Okay, so that's working. Now what did it say about the installation again?" Toru muttered, looking at a new program that was being worked on for his Duel Runner.

The door to the garage of his apartment opened up, and in walked the blue-haired woman.

"Hey Misaki, back from your errand?" Toru said without turning around, continuing to search through the data that Misaki had compiled.

"I have a present for you," Misaki stated, nodding for Tatsuya to come into the garage.

"A present? What kind of—whoa! Tatsuya!?" Toru exclaimed after turning around to see his best friend walk through his garage. "What are you doing here bro? Misaki, did you go get him?" Toru asked rapidly, greeting Tatsuya with a bro-hug.

Misaki frowned and flicked Toru's nose.

"Idiot. Crash Town is too far to travel in that short a time frame. I found him by the city's Card Shop," she said flatly.

Toru winced and rubbed his nose.

"Sheesh babe, no need to be that harsh," Toru grimaced, getting another thwack upside the head for good measure.

"I told you not to call me that," Misaki blushed, looking away in embarrassment.

Tatsuya blinked as he observed the situation. The two fought like a couple. Did that mean they were...no, this was Toru. He was never able to score with anyone in town. Still, there was that slight chance that they could be.

"The two of you fight like an old married couple," Tatsuya said bluntly, causing Misaki to blush all the more and reach for Toru's hand.

Tatsuya's eyes widened. They weren't!

They totally were...

"See...Misaki and I started dating not too long after I got here," Toru said with a wide grin, scratching the back of his head nervously as he spoke.

"If Nico and West heard this, they'd have a field day," Tatsuya smirked.

"Those two squirts would never let me hear the end of it," Toru laughed. "So, what brings you here man!? I haven't seen you in ages," Toru wondered.

Tatsuya proceeded to explain to Toru about the situation in Crash Town. He spoke of how the Malcom and Ramon Group were getting increasingly hostile and more bold with their actions during the day as they were during the night. He made it plain that West and Nico were left with their parents and that they would be okay.

"Man, I knew things were getting nuts with those two, but acting out in the daytime too? Isn't that against Crash Town law?" Toru asked.

Tatsuya shrugged.

"I don't think it matters to them anymore. They'll do anything to make themselves richer, even if it means stepping on others to do it," Tatsuya stated with a grimace.

"No kidding. It was rough there. In any case, that's behind us now. Nico and West are with their family, eliminating that concern right?" Toru beamed.

"I suppose you're right. However," Tatsuya sighed. "Their dad was found to be with the Malcom Group as a Duelist. He's pretty decent, but I don't know how long he'll be able to keep up his luck," Tatsuya frowned.

"I'm sure he'll be fine! You're starting to sound like Nico, Tatsuya," Toru replied, getting a frown from Tatsuya.

"I don't worry that much," Tatsuya replied sharply, crossing his arms in defiance.

"Relax bro, I'm just bustin' your chops. Anyway, let's focus on other matters! Like you joinin' my Turbo Team!" Toru exclaimed.

Tatsuya smirked at the proposition. It was finally happening. The dream they both had since childhood was about to come to fruition.

"Just one thing though. Misaki and I have Duel Runners. And last I checked, the old man wouldn't let you have one so...wait...you're wearing a riding outfit. Trying to pretend to be a Turbo Duelist without the Duel Runner?" Toru blinked.

Misaki thumped him on the back of the head once more, getting a yelp of pain from her boyfriend.

"Dummy. He has a Duel Runner. I saw him ride in on it while I was running errands," Misaki

"You mean-?"

"That's right Toru. I can join your Turbo Team..." Tatsuya grinned.

Toru paused for a moment, letting the full weight of Tatsuya's statement hit him.

"OH YEAH!"

* * *

 **Arc Two - Turn One - Watt's Going On?**

 **End Phase**


	13. Chapter 13

The Dark Oppressor - Turn Two - A Puzzling Endeavor

"Dude!" Toru exclaimed as Tatsuya wheeled in his Duel Runner to his garage. "Isn't that...is it really?"

"Mom's? Yes, it is. I know, I couldn't believe it either. Hers was the only one that didn't get completely totaled. It's been restored fairly nicely for the most part. But, it needs some major adjustments. The Duel system is glitchy and the brakes need work. the balance seems fine but the engine..." Tatsuya trailed off.

Misaki crossed her arms and glanced down at the Lambda framed Duel Runner. Circling around it, she knelt down and inspected the other parts of the vehicle, frowning at the condition of a few parts she'd spotted.

"How's it lookin' Misaki?" Toru queried.

Misaki knitted her brows and shook her head.

"Difficult...this will be difficult," Misaki sighed. "But the good news is, the frame is still good so we don't need to do much with that. However," she continued, gesturing to the engine. "How did you ride that here? You're lucky it didn't combust on you coming into the city..."

Tatsuya's eyes widened. He could have been blown up? That wasn't exactly how he pictured himself dying. Not that he thought about it that often, but still!

"Fortunately, it's as dead as it gets. That's the only major thing that needs to be done aside from the glitchy system," Misaki summarized.

"You really know your stuff don't you?" Tatsuya said with a nervous laugh.

"She knows more than I do, sad to say, I'm not as much of a wizz on Duel Runners as I thought," Toru added, scratching the back of his head. "She's the brains here," he finished, placing an arm around Misaki after walking up beside her.

Misaki's face tinted pink. She elbowed Toru playfully before turning back to Tatsuya.

"If we can get a new engine, the rest should be easily fixable. But since the shop is closed right now," she mumbled, pausing before continuing on. "I recommend going down to Bootleg. They've got all the intel you'll need about where to get some really good parts around here for a good price," Misaki suggested.

"Bootleg? Like...illegal?" Tatsuya blinked, almost in disbelief about what Misaki was suggesting.

"Don't be stupid. It's just the name of the place," Misaki said flatly.

"I was gonna say," Tatsuya trailed off.

"I'll get the parts needed to fix the Duel System. With any luck we'll be able to get it back up and running again in the next few days," Misaki added.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get to it then. Toru, you comin'?" Tatsuya inquired.

"Huh? Nah man, I need to work on a few things. I'll take a look at yours while you're out to see if there's anything else that needs to be worked on before we replace some parts. Hopefully it won't be too bad," Toru laughed. "You guys take care. I'll wait for you guys here."

"See you in a bit," Tatsuya called over his shoulder as he and Misaki headed out the door.

* * *

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's**

 **Arc Two - Turn Two - A Puzzling Endeavor**

 **WRGP WC**

 **The Dark Oppressor**

* * *

"Has the circuit responded at all?"

"Not yet...but in due time it will..."

"We must be patient. We will enact the will of the gods soon. Then, and only then, will our future be avoided..."

* * *

The place known as Bootleg, wasn't as bad as Tatsuya thought it would be. It was simply a bar with the standard setup and tables to eat at. It had somewhat of an old-timey look to it with its stone walls and flooring. There were several Duelists sitting at the tables, enjoying a meal while swapping card strategies. Behind the bar, was a man with two criminal marks on the side of his face, spiked hair and a pointed nose. He wore a dress shirt with a purple vest overtop.

"That's the owner," Misaki pointed out, gesturing to the shady looking man who was cleaning a glass.

"Figures he'd look as shady as the name of this place sounds," Tatsuya muttered.

"He's not a bad guy," Misaki shrugged, walking down the steps and onto the bar floor.

The bar owner shifted his eyes to the side to see Misaki approaching him. He'd seen her a few times before, but never really got the chance to speak with her. He took note of Tatsuya taking a seat beside Misaki and raised a brow in intrigue.

"What can I do for you two?" The owner said in a rather crackly voice.

Misaki leaned forward and placed her chin in her hands.

"I'll have...a pineapple martini. Easy on the Vodka," she stated with a bored expression.

"Gotcha, and what about you sir?" He asked curiously.

"Not much of a drinker. But I'll take a virgin margarita if you make those," Tatsuya requested.

"I can certainly do that," the owner replied, taking down the order before getting to work.

After a few minutes, he returned with he drinks and slid them in front of the customers.

"So, did you two just come here for a casual drink, or was there something else on your mind?" He inquired, getting a frown from Tatsuya.

"Perceptive as always. We're here because we know you can help us. We're looking for a god Duel Runner engine," Misaki stated simply.

The owner stroked his chin and looked around.

"A Duel Runner engine eh? You're not gonna find many good ones around here nowadays," the owner informed the duo.

"So what you're saying is, you can't help us?" Tatsuya inquired, taking a sip of his drink before setting it down.

"Well now I didn't say that. I do know of one person who happens to have an engine he's not using. But if you want the information," the man grinned, reaching into his pocket to pull out two decks of cards, "you'll have to solve a puzzle!"

"A puzzle?" Tatsuya blinked, watching as the man shuffled the cards around and set a field up before him.

"Yes. You see, I don't just give out information for free. There's always a cost. If you can complete this puzzle, then I will tell you what you want to know," the owner smirked.

Tatsuya watched as he laid out several cards onto the field. He took note that they were all Synchro Monster cards and powerful ones at that. There was XX-Saber Gottoms, Chaos King Archfiend, Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth, Black-Winged Dragon, and Red Dragon Archfiend! In the Graveyard were three copies of the Monster Card, Shiny Black "C." He had one card in his back field.

Tatsuya glanced over at the two cards placed in his Deck Zone and the three cards placed in his Extra Deck Zone. He noticed he had three cards in his back field and he was now being handed five cards for his hand.

"Alright pal, you've got 900 Life Points to work with. Your opponent, me, has 6700 Life Points and a Mirror Force Trap Card. You have to win on this turn. What do you do?" The owner smirked.

As the puzzle began, several duelists gathered around to watch what Tatsuya would do.

"Oh man, not that one!" One said with a groan.

"That one's tough to solve," said another.

Tatsuya looked up at the owner and then down to his cards.

"Am I allowed to know what's in the deck?" Tatsuya inquired.

"Sure. It's not an actual duel, and the goal is to solve the puzzle. How can you if you don't know what the pieces are?" The owner grinned.

Tatsuya nodded and looked at the two cards he was given for a deck. They were the Tuner Monster; Krebons, and Miracle Synchro Fusion!

Glancing at his hand, he saw Brain Control, Emergency Teleport, Dimension Fusion, Fabled Lurrie, and Synchro Fusionist.

 _That makes things easier, now...what are the Synchros?_

Tatsuya thought as he took a gander at the three Extra Deck cards.

 _Okay, Ultimate Axon Kicker, Magical Android and Dark Strike Fighter. Okay, I think I've got it,_ Tatsuya thought as he reached for the first card.

"I'll activate Brain Control, paying 800 Life Points to take your XX-Saber Gottoms!" Tatsuya declared, executing the first step in the puzzle.

The owner slid the card over to Tatsuya who took a look at the owner's back field. Knowing that Mirror Force was a threat, he shifted the acquired Monster to defense position.

"Next, I activate Foolish Revival, and I'm bringing back one Shiny Black "C" from your Graveyard. And after that, I'm chaining this card, Karma Cut, banishing all copies of Shiny Black "C" from your Graveyard and the one on the field! And since I had to use Lurrie to do this, he gets summoned back to the field!" Tatsuya declared.

The shop owner banished the needed cards and waited for Tatsuya to continue the turn.

 _Okay, so far so good. Let's see...I think this will work next,_ Tatsuya mused, reaching for his next card.

"Now, I activate Emergency Teleport to summon Krebons to the field!" Tatsuya continued, bringing the needed monster to the playing area.

"After that, I summon Synchro Fusionist and tune the three monsters I summoned to bring out Magical Android," Tatsuya explained further, continuing his solving of the puzzle.

Thus far, he hadn't been stopped, so he assumed he made no mistakes. "And since I used Synchro Fusionist as material, I'm allowed to take Miracle Synchro Fusion and add it to my hand," Tatsuya added, taking the needed card from the deck and placing it in his hand.

"You're not doin' too bad new guy. So far you've gotten more right than anyone else in this room," the owner grinned.

"Thanks, and I think I have the rest figured out," Tatsuya smirked. "I activate the card I just drew, fusing Magical Android and Krebons to form, Ultimate Axon Kicker!" Tatsuya roared, slapping the card onto the table.

The onlookers gasped. So far he'd been able to solve every piece of the puzzle with no mistakes. He just needed to find his way through the next part to continue on. Analyzing the playing field, he contemplated his next move.

 _Okay, the right pieces are in place so far. My only problem is, I don't have Life Points to execute the next phase,_ Tatsuya thought as he looked at his hand and field. _But I have just the way to fix that! Of course, it's so simple!_

Tatsuya smirked.

"Time to start the battle phase!" Tatsuya declared, getting a blank expression from the pointy-nosed owner.

"Are you sure you wanna do that?" He asked, trying to test Tatsuya to see if he'd stick with his course of action or deviate.

This was one of his toughest puzzles, and so far Tatsuya was gliding through it. Making him second guess was a way to test him to see just what kind of Duelist he was and if he could be trusted with any information.

"There's really no other way to do this. So yes, I'll be sticking with this plan of attack, and the monster I'll attack is Black-Winged Dragon!" Tatsuya declared.

"Good choice. Now, you know I have Mirror Force, so what happens when I activate it?" The owner quizzed.

"Nothing. XX-Saber Gottoms is in defense mode and Ultimate Axon Kicker can't be destroyed by card effects," Tatsuya fired back.

"Excellent!" The owner exclaimed, discarding Mirror Force to the Graveyard.

"Because of that, I gain 2800 Life Points, putting me at 2900 Life Points. But I'm not done yet. I activate Dimension Fusion, forcing me to pay 2000 Life Points to bring as many Monsters back from the banished zone as possible! And that means that Magical Android and Krebons come back," Tatsuya declared, placing the two cards back onto the field.

The owner placed two Shiny Black "C" cards back onto the field and waited.

"Now I can wrap this up!" Tatsuya declared, getting a surprised reaction from the rest of the bar.

As Tatsuya began the next phase, the bar doors opened up and in walked two men. One of them was rather burly and had a hair style similar to that of the shop owner. He had a more chiseled jawline and blue hair. He wore a brown vest and a black shirt beneath and jeans with black shoes. The second man beside him had a slightly thinner face with some stubble on it. He had brown hair and wore a green vest with a white long-sleeve beneath.

The two glanced over at the counter and observed the duel puzzle that was taking place, and much to their surprise, Tatsuya was nearly done by the looks of things.

"I tune Magical Android and Krebons together to summon Dark Strike Fighter," Tatsuya stated, bringing the powerful Machine from the Extra Deck to the field.

"Good! Keep going," the owner urged him.

Misaki sat there, a neutral expression on her face as she watched. She already knew that Tatsuya would be able to finish the puzzle. She'd seen more than she needed to when she dueled him.

"I activate the effect of Dark Strike Fighter, tributing Ultimate Axon Kicker to deal 2000 points of damage to you," Tatsuya added, executing the strategy before continuing.

"Next I'll do the same with XX-Saber Gottoms to deal you 1800 points of damage. And after that, Dark Strike Fighter is going to take a little trip to the Graveyard himself to deal 1400 points of damage straight to you!" Tatsuya declared.

There was one card left on the field, and Tatsuya had seemingly run out of options. Did he make a mistake? Everyone else in the room seemed to think so. Everyone that is, except Misaki and the two men that entered the room and the owner.

"Lastly, I activate Wicked Rebirth, paying the cost to bring back Dark Strike Fighter to the field! And because of that, I use its effect on itself one more time, and that...is checkmate!" Tatsuya declared, sending the card to the Graveyard, effectively completing the puzzle.

The room went completely silent. After a few minutes, cheers erupted from the onlookers. Misaki simply gave a lazy smile and sipped her drink.

 _I knew he'd be able to do it. A Duelist like him could probably do anything if given the right cards_ , she thought, looking over at the owner who was scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Well, he solved it. That means you have to hold up your end of the deal," Misaki stated with a firm tone.

"I suppose you're right huh? Well, it just so happens that not only will you be getting the needed information, but you'll be meeting the person I'm about to introduce...right now," the owner grinned, nodding his head towards the large individual who stepped up to the bar.

"Meet Bolt Tanner. He's the guy to know about your Duel Runner problems..."

* * *

 **Arc Two - Turn Two - A Puzzling Endeavor**

 **End Phase**


End file.
